Session 19: The Alliance College of Bards
General Summary
In this episode of Dream Thieves…
The Front Courtyard
Our heroes arrived to the Alliance college of Bards, a unified organization housing the many colleges of performers, entertainers, historians that comprise the Bard population in the Gilded Alliance Fiero, the dashing Bard the party met in Willoughby, welcomed them to the college and offered to introduce them to the current headmaster when they were ready to enter the main building. Aetha noticed a Dodo bird walking along the ground in the courtyard holding a scroll in its beak. An identical bird was walking alongside it. With the help of Gervil’s unseen servant, they managed to pull the scroll away from the bird, who had taken it from a magic user somewhere around the college. Aetha, speaking to the Dodo, heard the bird’s concerns that there were many ‘strange’ and unfamiliar people walking around the college that day. He recommended that she be careful…and bring him food. Aetha, sitting in the topiary of the Dodo’s home tree, saw a gathering of people in the back courtyard, alongside a constructed stage and practice area. Azriel patted down his pockets and discovered that his totally normal radish had gone missing! He retraced his footsteps and noticed small track marks leading around the back of the building. He was stopped by a woman saying that the west courtyard was “off limits” to guests. She introduced herself as Starcatcher. Azriel was determined to find another way to follow the tracks and retrieve his radish at any cost. Hadley, a guardsmen, stood over the damaged and inert body of another clockwork solider, this time an unfamiliar assassin model. Zanuriel, interested in inspecting the machine, got into a tussle with Hadley but was able to command him to retreat, giving the team access to the armature. Amelia tried opening the machine with mixed success. Gervil recommended the use of the Fitsgrudgit omni tool, the strange device found on Sera Seraphina’s body at Willoughby cemetary. Amelia, amazed at the sight of the device, told Gervil that this was a special omni tool invited and wholly owned by the kingdom of Gnomes, a trade secret that was only operable by members of the Gnomish nation. To even have one was illegal. She recommended that it be kept safe. Monsieur Bigby stood open for business near the college entrance. The Heroes finally returned his missing shoes he’d lost at Gryffinspire Inn. Aetha, using her words of terror, convinced Bigby to hand over his entire inventory of items as fair compensation.A Day of Festivities
The heroes joined Fiero in the main hall and were Greeted by Tania Tremain, ‘The Rose Reborn’, a famous traveling bard that had been asked to step in as headmaster of the college in the absence of the college’s current headmaster, whose whereabouts remained unknown. Tania informed the group that there was a group of Dignitaries in from Bradbureigh, traveling with a man who had been attacked several days before, and were traveling across the country to bring him to safety. The VIPs were Grantham Hill, an entrepreneur from Bradbureigh and the target of the attacks, Zul Garub, Tabaxi diplomat from the Endless Sands on assignment to the Gilded Alliance and Tol Tivikh, and an heiress from a noble house in Bradbureigh. Additionally, there was to be a performance today of “The Sea Maiden’s Curse”, a famous Bard’s tale from the region. Auditions for the parts were taking place in the room next to them shortly. When the heroes shared that they were familiar with the work, Tania asked for a scene reading with Aetha and Fiero, which went pleasantly well. Fiero invited Aetha to have a drink, but before they left for the bar outside, Tania shared something privately whispered into Fiero’s ear. Outside, Aetha’s rats ran up a tree and didn’t return. She and Fiero climbed up the tree to retrieve them, toppling to the ground in a cute fashion. After collecting themselves, Aetha discovered a tradgic connection Fiero shared. He was betrothed to Cassidy Doubleday, who Aetha knew had been slain at the hands of the masked figure. Sharing this with Fiero, he asked to be excused to handle the news privately.Strange Guests
Meanwhile, Gervil and the others explored the grounds as they’d been given free reign to move around at their leisure. A woman in the hall mistook Gervil for a servant and asked him to fetch her a drink. Upset by the insult, he demanded satisfaction, leading to the offer of a duel. The conflict was deescalated without bloodshed. Gervil entered the library where he met two women dressed in light dresses adorned with shimmering stones reminiscent of the desert landscape. Clara and Coritha, intrigued by the studious, well dressed young man in front of them, invited him to stay and talk. They were guests of Zul Garub, one of the visiting emissaries. Zul was on his way to Tol Tivik on diplomatic business and had made plans for the two women to relocated from Bradbureigh. They found this unsatisfactory however and asked for Gervil’s help to convice Zul Garub that they should continue adventuring with him into Tol Tivik. Gervil agreed to try and change the dignitary’s mind. In the back courtyard, our heroes met Navarine, head of security at the college. They asked for her help in case something dangerous was to appear and she agreed. In an effort to get closer to the dignitaries, the heros posed as servants and grabbed drinks for them. The bartender told them to be careful because one drink was ‘made especially’ for Grantham Hall and they wouldn’t want to give that one to the other dignitaries. Thinking the drink dangerous, they disposed of it before it could reach Grantham. Torrentous found himself in the kitchen and met a goat like creature making the lunch. Terrified for his life at the sight of the formidable Torrentous, he ran out of the kitchen, leaving lunch unfinished. With Bards demanding food in the main room, Torrentous, and with the help of Zanuriel, finished and served the lunch to keep the peace. A particularly persnickity Bard named Pickleberry got sick from the food and had to exit the auditions entirely. Meanwhile back outside, Gervil, Aetha and Azriel convinced Zul Garub to keep the desert princesses with them using the power of the Ribbons of the Lost Princess obtained from Bigby earlier, showing him a memory of the misdeeds of the Bradbureigh nobles at the wedding.The Search Continues
The heroes explored more of the facility in hopes of understanding what was really going on. Gervil transformed into Virgil to gain access to the locked faculty room. Once inside, he discovered a series of communications between the college and the Moonlight Collective, requesting the assistance of 10 Bards to travel to their “MC1” location for ‘Research Purposes.’ When the headmaster refused, this caused much friction between the college and the mysterious organization. The Dignitary from house Gregory met the heroes in the hallway and began alluding to the fact that she knew who they were and what their true aim was. Aetha and Gervil, seeing these threats as material barriers to their progress, followed the noblewoman into the ladies restroom and drowned her in the toilet, snuffing out her life and ending the threat. What’s in store for our heroes as the day’s festivities unfold? Find out in our next episode of Dream Thieves!
Aeða Mɛlñɛriæn
Azriel Carynthian
Zanuriel Leafbreeze
Torentous Tenaysius
Gervil Norev
Report Date
12 Apr 2024