Lakefinder Session 22: Great Minds Think Alike
General Summary
Month 2, Week 2, Year 936
With just a few more days in Kaifeng before the diplomatic negotiations came to an end, the party did some more sleuthing around the city to figure out the extent of Maris' brainwashing program. Outmaneuvering Nalthis and the Sheyuan guards, Leena and the others managed to get unfiltered access to interview the city's children and check on their condition. They all seemed happy and free of any brainwashing, easing some ethical concerns the party had about Maris' plans. Compared to the death cult of Dendar, mass brainwashing in service of Merrshaulk seemed preferable at least for a couple generations to reform Sheyuan society from the ground up. Eraji met with Maris that night, enduring several bouts of flirting but learning more about Maris' upbringing in Despero and Sabha. There was also a secret rendezvous with the Dendar cultists later that evening, but the party wasn't impressed by the cultist's claims without any evidence to back them up. Leena finally met with Maris one-on-one and confronted her about the mass brainwashing, explaining that she'd be open to letting the arrangement stay in place if Maris was honest about how the brainwashing worked. The leader of Sheyuan explained how the operation was similar to how illithids brainwashed their victims, but with the help of a secret (and according to Maris, immortal) entity the procedure could be completed without turning people into illithids. Leena appeared satisfied with the information, and as a show of gratitude Maris agreed to do some sleuthing to see if she could learn the whereabouts of Leena's brother. With the negotiations coming to a close, Kai suggested the party celebrate one of their last day in Sheyuan with some monster-hunting in the Underdark.
With just a few more days in Kaifeng before the diplomatic negotiations came to an end, the party did some more sleuthing around the city to figure out the extent of Maris' brainwashing program. Outmaneuvering Nalthis and the Sheyuan guards, Leena and the others managed to get unfiltered access to interview the city's children and check on their condition. They all seemed happy and free of any brainwashing, easing some ethical concerns the party had about Maris' plans. Compared to the death cult of Dendar, mass brainwashing in service of Merrshaulk seemed preferable at least for a couple generations to reform Sheyuan society from the ground up. Eraji met with Maris that night, enduring several bouts of flirting but learning more about Maris' upbringing in Despero and Sabha. There was also a secret rendezvous with the Dendar cultists later that evening, but the party wasn't impressed by the cultist's claims without any evidence to back them up. Leena finally met with Maris one-on-one and confronted her about the mass brainwashing, explaining that she'd be open to letting the arrangement stay in place if Maris was honest about how the brainwashing worked. The leader of Sheyuan explained how the operation was similar to how illithids brainwashed their victims, but with the help of a secret (and according to Maris, immortal) entity the procedure could be completed without turning people into illithids. Leena appeared satisfied with the information, and as a show of gratitude Maris agreed to do some sleuthing to see if she could learn the whereabouts of Leena's brother. With the negotiations coming to a close, Kai suggested the party celebrate one of their last day in Sheyuan with some monster-hunting in the Underdark.
Rewards Granted
- 20 XP - Showing Up
- 50 XP - Major accomplishment
Character(s) interacted with
- Nalthis - the yuan-ti diplomat chaperoning the party's time in Sheyuan
- Flick Patras - a helpful retainer for the party
- Jiro - the chauvinistic representative from the Knights of Rarita
- Maris Sissava - The ambitious leader of the new Sheyuan
Comments