Stars Above
The Sunken Fields
42,628 EC "Are you sure this is a good idea?" the girl whispered as the door closed gently behind her. "Of course it is," the boy said with an unworried grin. "Don't you trust me?" "Do you even have to ask?" The girl smiled and stepped further into the room. She looked around, then walked confidently over to a small glass case locked around a pedestal holding a rectangular bronze bar embedded with obsidian in the shape of a four-pointed star. The smile turned to a grin and she carefully unlocked the case and lifted it to take the amulet. The boy, meanwhile, made his way to a larger case around a gold crown encrusted with red gems. He whistled quietly and opened the case to take the crown. "You need better security," he said to the crown. Then he looked to the girl. "Come on. Let's go." He held out his hand. The girl nodded and took his hand. They stepped out the door, and alarms immediately started sounding. "Run!" the boy shouted. He took off, the girl close behind him. It didn't take long for them to see guards, but they kept running, outpacing them all. It wasn't until they were about to cross outside the building that the girl felt someone grab her arm. She looked back to see an imposing woman with pulled-back black hair glaring at her. "Did you really think you'd get away with that?" the woman said. The girl stared into her eyes, losing herself for a moment in her void-like pupils shaped like stars. Then she shook it off. "Let go!" she demanded. She ripped her arm away, but the woman caught the amulet. The girl held one end of it tightly as the woman tried to pull it away. For a moment, they were caught in a stalemate; then the girl's grip started slipping. "No!" With a last burst of effort, she pulled on the amulet. It glowed with a sickening black light, and finally snapped in two, sending both of them stumbling in opposite directions. The boy caught the girl. "Come on, let's get out of here!" he said, pulling her along out of the building. They ran towards the sound of crashing waves, and without thinking, they dove off a cliff into the churning ocean below. The waves carried them. Where exactly, they didn't know. But they came up near land, the girl looking at the broken amulet and the boy looking at the crown. Then they looked at each other, and the girl held up the amulet. "Do you think it's noticeable?" she asked. The boy stared for a moment, then they both started laughing. "Just a little bit," he said. He held out the crown to her. "Want to try it first?" The girl lowered the broken amulet and dipped her head. The boy rested the crown there, and she slowly looked up. "How do I look?" she asked. "Like a queen," the boy said. He grinned and placed a hand over his heart, bowing as well as he could while staying afloat. "All hail Queen Eris."
Location: The Shallows - Silene
Session Tags: high stakes social, combat inadvisable
Date: 4/12/997 Summary
Upon arriving in the Shallows, the party was immediately greeted by a woman named Casandra and her starset dragon Azara. They were then led to a large governmental building, where they were presented to Lady Chyrla, the incarnation of the goddess Chyrlathyn. It was quickly revealed that Ernest was in fact a spy working for Chyrlathyn under the moniker Mockingbird--which not too slowly led to the realization that they were likely the individual who killed Ellette. The party continued their sudden mission, which was to convince Lady Chyrla that they should be allowed to continue their larger mission of fulfilling the prophecy. HuSH raised his negotiational authority level by revealing himself as Hyacinthus Sherwood Holmes, acting emperor of Brimera. Requests were made (including the release of the dragon gods and Ellette's soul), questions were asked (of Lady Chyrla: why does she not fight Alphosces herself?; and of the party: how certain are they that they can succeed?), and eventually a deal was struck: Lady Chyrla would consider their requests for the release of the dragon gods and Ellette's soul; she would also reserve judgement for after they had more of a chance to prove their capabilities. If she decided they could succeed, the Silenean armies would aid them in their fight. In return, they would continue to conduct their affairs with Mockingbird keeping an eye on them, and if they were deemed to be unable to succeed, the prophecy loop would be delayed once again. The party returned two items to her: half of a broken amulet given by Eris, and a box found in Kravedazox's hoard. The box she kept, but the amulet she joined to the other half and have to Mockingbird. The party left, going different ways for a while, before they all made it back to the ship. Various words were exchanged, Dan shot Mockingbird (who is no more dead than they were before), and Azara warned them that more harm done to Mockingbird would not be tolerated. The party split off into groups to discuss various things.
Location: The Shallows - Solymus
Session Tags: moderate combat, heist-like shenanigans
Content Warnings: potential severe consequences upon mission failure, may include magic restrictions
Date: 5/22/997 Inside A Prison In Solymus A tall, well-muscled elven woman slides a blue crystal tied up in a leather rope over to an armored guard, smiling ever-so-faintly. The guard takes the crystal and inspects it. "And how is our guest today?" she asks amusedly. "'Bout how you'd expect, ma'am. Nothin' much changed." "Wonderful." She held out her hand. The guard placed a small stone in it. "My name is Captain Sylfina Woodcrown, warden of Steelgate Penitentiary. I carry nothing not permitted to me by my station." She handed the stone back. "You're all set then, ma'am," the guard said. He opened the gate to let her through. Sylfina walked through the gate and headed further into the prison. She made her way to the back hallway and stopped about halfway down, then turned to the cell and smiled. "Good morning, Trishula. How are you today?" Summary
The party received word from Glasaeum that Trishula had been arrested and imprisoned in Steelgate Penitentiary, a semi-high-security prison in Solymus. They did some research on the prison and discovered that it was shrouded in a field of antimagic. As HuSH worked on papers for a false identity, Siora and Dan scouted out the prison, determining just how far the antimagic field extended. Eventually, they decided to approach from below. They soon discovered that the guards knew they were coming, and had been waiting for them. They also were able to realize that at least some of the guards had spellcasting foci which made them immune to the antimagic field. They engaged in a hefty amount of combat before managing to break Trishula out of his cell using Siora's wildfire spirit. No permanent casualties were sustained by the party, and they managed to recover Trishula's belongings and escape from the prison. Initial Assessment: on the subject of Funk Eris, Glasaeum, Hummingbird, Sirieth, Dathaniel Eris, Fjällndemir, Trishula, Hyacinthus Sherwood Holmes, and Siora Arnasta
Reconnaissance: 2/10
Research: 7/10
Planning: 5/10
Conviction: 10/10
Actions Under Pressure: 9/10 Current Judgement: When faced with a potentially deadly situation, prioritizes possible completion of the mission over survival. The group as a whole is a bit absorbed with its own competence, even when others may have greater expertise. Despite this, they agonize over plans for extensive periods of time, which their lack of information then renders less useful. However, they think well during a stressful situation, and were able to succeed against opponents who did not pursue. They also exhibit significant compassion, though this may amount to fear for their own standing with Lady Chyrla. Current Recommendation: More surveillance is needed to make an ultimate decision. Should they learn from their mistakes and accept their flaws, they will have my support.
Location: The Shallows - Acalloris
Session Tags: heavy combat, medium stakes social
Date: 7/13/997 A Rooftop In Acalloris "You got eyes on them yet, Rin?" He rolled his eyes, adjusting his glasses. "Affirmative. Five... No, six." "Last count was eight. You sure it's six?" "I know how to count, Byltar. It's six." "Roger that. Reporting six counted, two missing." There was a pause. "So, any plans later?" "None that concern you. What's the directive?" "Waiting for a response. Want to get dinner?" "No thanks. I don't-" "Mix business and pleasure. Yeah, yeah- hang on, I've got Branleare." The line went silent a moment, then picked back up. "Bran says hold off. The boss just wants us on standby." "Standby for what?" "The new toys. We're supposed to pop in if they screw up too bad." "You mean when?" "Yeah, probably." "And Branleare's okay with that?" "Seemed to be. She's got other plans. "What other plans?" He could practically hear the grin in Byltar's voice when he responded. "Seems it's time to take Malachi for a test run." Summary
The party was approached by a young aasimar by the name of Malachi, a prospective recruit for Chyrlathyn's elite squad. He informed them that their next task was investigating a potential threat in Acalloris--recent rumors of bronze sculptors taking action against the crown. The party split up to investigate. HuSH and Mockingbird headed out to talk to people using their Immense Powers Of Persuasion™️, while snap and Malachi went to the docks. They uncovered some very interesting information about the Bronze Sculptor Society ("lovingly" dubbed the BS Society), including that they had recently been missing from a major expo, and had been commissioned by the emperor to make a sculpture for his daughter. The party proceeded to Acalloris and continued their investigations. snap discovered that many places around the BS Society's headquarters were marked with thieves' cant warning people to stay away. The party also found out that some people had been hearing strange noises at night, and HuSH found scrapes on nearby walls that suggested something heavy had brushed against them. Finally, the party decided to scope out one of the side locations. Malachi, using arcane eye, discovered that it was entirely empty except for a hidden trap door. After sending a forward scout, the party descended into the tunnels below and found the bronze sculptors, along with several of their animated sculptures. The battle was difficult, with multiple party members reduced to unconsciousness more than once. In the end, however, the party was victorious. In the aftermath, they found that the head sculptor had several bits of metal infused into his body. Mockingbird used speak with dead on another of the sculptors, and eventually received some concerning information: this society was seeking the end of divinity. The party rested to recover their strength, and met Avrin, who took the head sculptor's body. They then returned to the ship, mulling over what they had learned. Initial Assessment: on the subject of Hummingbird, Morrigan Black-Rain, tssssssstch, Hyacinthus Sherwood Holmes, Agent Mockingbird, and snap
Reconnaissance: 7/10
Research: 5/10
Intellect: 6/10
Discernment: 3/10
Adaptive Strategy: 4/10 Current Judgement: Though they display a surface layer of competence, their preparations cease the moment they enter a combative environment. They are capable of manipulation tactics such that they draw out crucial information, and do sometimes have enough intelligence to draw meaningful conclusions from that information. However, they seem to draw a distinct line between the preparation phase and the action phase, where such a line does not, or rather should not, exist. While they were ultimately successful, their actions led to a far more dangerous encounter than necessary. Current Recommendation: They must work on their continuing assessment of situations while simultaneously engaging in combat. Should they improve on this front, their chances of success may increase to fifty percent, or higher should they improve greatly.
Location: The Shallows - Sagitta
Session Tags: medium stakes social, light-hearted
Date: 9/7/997 Around A Table In A Restaurant In Silene "... You're not serious," Avrin said. "Perfectly!" the red-haired woman replied cheerily. "Namia... You did understand the assignment, right?" Branleare asked gently. "Of course!" Namia insisted. "And... This is how you've chosen to do it?" Avrin raised an eyebrow at her. "Yup! And one other thing too, but this one's first." Branleare and Avrin looked at each other. Before they could say anything further, Byltar spoke up. "I think it's a delightful plan," he said. "And certainly borne out of careful consideration and nothing else." Branleare looked at Byltar disbelievingly. "You know something, don't you?" Byltar grinned. "What can I say? I'm just so easy to talk to. Anyway, I think you should be more supportive of Namia's idea. You can learn a lot from things that seem mundane!" Branleare sighed. "I suppose you're right. All right then, Namia. Go ahead." "Hooray!" Namia clapped excitedly. "This'll be so fun!" Summary
Namia came personally to the ship to deliver the next task to the party. She informed them that a friend of hers had to go away for a couple of days, and needed someone to look after his farm. The party accepted the job and made their way to Sagitta, where the farm was. Once they arrived, they set to work determining what all they would need to take care of, as well as inspecting the grounds and talking to some of the farmhands. Once they had a better grasp of the scope of the situation, they assigned tasks both to the farmhands and to themselves. Plants were growthed, sheep were sheered, cows and goats were milked, eggs were collected, and one very nervous rooster was encouraged to believe that he could, in fact, get it. A minor hiccup occurred when a delivery person hadn't been informed that they would be leaving feed with different people than usual, but it was handled... Mostly okay. At the end of their time at the farm, the party was given several bottles of milk and blocks of cheese for their trouble. Initial Assessment: on the subject of Brio Cadenza, Funk Eris, Hummingbird, Sirieth, Umbral, Ballad Cadenza, Blue, Dathaniel Eris, Hyacinthus Sherwood Holmes, and Siora Arnasta
Compassion: 7/10
Responsibility: 10/10
Accountability & Self-Assessment: 4/10
Independence: 7/10
Logistical Leadership: 8/10 Current Judgement: They are quite capable of fulfilling assigned tasks, and they show competence at determining the best way to go about such tasks. However, they are lacking in certain areas. Those wishing to be trusted with the ability to succeed in war must be able to assess their failings, accept their flaws, take responsibility for their actions, and realize that they may not always have complete information. While these shortcomings are not entirely prohibitive, they certainly have areas in which they must improve. Current Recommendation: So long as they keep their shortcomings in mind and work to improve their performance in those areas, I support their chances of success.
Location: The Shallows - Eridanus
Session Tags: high-stakes social
Content Warnings: temporary insanity, discussion of grievous harm towards children, depictions and/or implications of physical and psychological torture, hallucinations, possible inability to trust your senses, possible feelings of hopelessness, possible body horror
Date: 10/31/997 Late At Night, On The Deck Of The Ouroboros Thunk. The quivering man thudded onto the deck of the ship. "Y-you're not just going to leave me here, are you?" he asked. "You h-haven't even t-t-told me what to s-say to them." "I've done you enough favors," the cloaked figure beside him said. "Them too. You're on your own." She pulled her first back and punched him square in the nose, knocking him unconscious instantly. With the fresh blood, she started writing large letters on the deck of the ship. The next morning, those who go out on deck see a young man, covered in thin scars and with what appears to be a broken nose, next to two words written in blood: Convince her. Summary
In the morning, the party discovered a nearly-dead man on the deck of the ship next to the words "convince her" written in blood. They healed him and asked him some questions. They were eventually able to determine that he had been brought to the ship by Entropy, and that the words were a directive to convince Chishira to release the man's brother. After some discussion of how to approach the situation, the party finally made their way to Eridanus, where Chishira's mansion was located. At first, they attempted to forcibly remove the man's brother from the rose bush where he was trapped; however, the roses, seeming to have a mind of their own, held him tightly. The party then decided that they would need to go inside. They went into the mansion and cautiously made their way further in, until they found a room. Upon entering, they were immediately faced with Chishira. After some preliminary discussion, Chishira decided that she would introduce them to someone else, and if that person liked them, she would talk to them more. She brought them to the next room over, where they met Eden, Chishira's younger--and very dead--sister. Chishira left them to play with Eden, who seemed to want two things: head pats and tag. Unfortunately for the party, Eden had little physical control, and tagged very hard. They all managed to survive, some with more difficulty than others, which was apparently what Chishira meant by Eden "liking them." They returned to Chishira, who talked to them extensively, giving them some information, talking privately to a couple of them, and eventually getting HuSH to reveal that he'd determined he was the Wandering Child. After lengthy discussion, she agreed to let them have who they came for, so long as they provided a replacement. Dan left briefly and returned with the replacement, and they were allowed to leave. Whether they left in one piece, well... You can ask Ballad that.
Location: The Shallows - Silene
Session Tags: high stakes social, light combat
Date: 12/14/997 A Dimly-Lit Office Late At Night "Namia? What are you doing still awake?" Branleare asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "You know tomorrow's going to be busy." "Just finishing up," Namia said. She scribbled one last thing, then looked at Branleare and smiled. "They know more what I'm looking for now. Maybe this'll give them a chance to do better." Branleare rolled her eyes fondly. "You're far too nice to them." "Well, what about you? How's yours coming?" "I'm still thinking about it." Branleare sighed. "But if you're done?" Namia nodded. "Yeah, I think so." "Good. Let's get some rest." Summary
Rather than coming herself this time, Namia simply left a to-do list pinned to the mast and Peri inside the ship's bell to summon the party. The list instructed the party to do several things for the general community before meeting a merchant named Elliot Maxwell. The party accomplished the tasks on the list admirably. Dan made incredibly good soup at the local soup kitchen, HuSH, Glasaeum, Brio, and Funk made someone's yardwork go much faster, snap and Ballad delivered some great toys to children at a hospital, Trishula and Tesni set up an excellent event at a seniors' home including a play put on by the ship's orphans, and several people were helped crossing the street. At the designated time, the party met Elliot Maxwell, who had been promised guards on his travel route, since bandits had been spotted in the area. The party provided this service, and did run into bandits. Things sort of went smoothly, other than Dan deciding to summon demons. But they defeated the bandits easily and Elliot Maxwell was delivered to his destination. After the mission, the party found a new to-do list pinned to the mast, identical except for one addition: to choose to sacrifice all the people they'd met during the day, or a member of the party. It was easily decided that the choice would be one of the party, and while many volunteered, it was eventually settled to be Trishula. Before any sacrificing could be done, Namia showed up and congratulated them for their choice, and assured them that no one was going to be sacrificed. She also lectured Dan just a little bit. But in the end, the party was very successful, and got a much improved grade from Namia. Secondary Assessment: on the subject of Brio Cadenza, Funk Eris, Glasaeum, Hummingbird, tssssssstch, Ballad Cadenza, Dathaniel Eris, Fjällndemir, Trishula, HuSH, and snap
Compassion: 10/10
Responsibility: 10/10
Accountability & Self-Assessment: 9/10
Independence: 10/10
Logistical Leadership: 9/10 Current Judgement: Despite Dathaniel Eris' lack of comprehension of the severity of the situation, he shows compassion (if, perhaps, over-excitement) towards most people. The others show incredible decisiveness, compassion, and leadership, understand the situation they have been placed in, and while they certainly do not like it, they accept it. Current Recommendation: So long as we are willing to accept the risks Dathaniel and his lineage present to the prophecy, I believe we should proceed with their goals.
Location: The Shallows - Perileos
Session Tags: light-hearted, low stakes social, light combat
Date: 1/1/998-1/7/998 Pinned In Various Places Around The Empire
Summary
On the first day of the festival, the party was drawn to the dragon racing and arena contests. Funk and Umbral both participated in the races, Umbral with a respectable 5th place and Funk tying for 1st. Funk then participated in the special starset races, coming in 8th. The group also participated in a group arena fight, where they managed to emerge victorious with minor difficulty. They also made some money by having them play seven dragon ante against Ria, and they did some shopping. Finally, they all went to pay their respects to Lady Chyrla, Emperor Tevar, and Princess Thiltiene (but not until after snap had convinced Blue not to do anything stupid). Trishula put on a very nice performance, and after some brief small talk, Lady Chyrla gave snap a package to deliver to HuSH. As they were leaving, Blue used skywrite to create an image of seven dragons in the sky. Upon receiving the package, HuSH discovered that it was for both him and Liu. They opened the contents together and were able to determine that the souls of Professor Zhang and Ellette had been returned. HuSH alerted Lukan. The next day, the second group went to the festival. They too participated in a group arena fight. While they struggled more than the previous group, they were also ultimately victorious. They then spent some time gambling and made a decent bit of money. With their new funds, they went to the festival's market and did some shopping, primarily for magic items. Once they were done shopping, they paid their respects to Chyrlathyn and headed back to the ship.
Location: The Shallows - Silene
Session Tags: moderate combat, medium stakes social, heist
Date: 2/8/998 In The Management Offices Of The Museum Of Imperial History "I swear, I'm not lying, and I wasn't seeing things!" the guard said, clearly distressed. "Uh huh..." the owner replied. "You understand this is a museum of... Inanimate objects? If someone had put some sort of enchantment on something, we'd know." "It's the only explanation!" the guard insisted. "Can't you at least get someone to look into it?" "We really don't have the staff for this... Kind of thing..." "You mean the kind of thing you think is made up?" The owner sighed. "Look, Merlin, you're a good guard, but you also have an... Overactive imagination. Remember last month-" "Oh come now, it's not hard to look into it, is it?" a new voice cut in. Both the owner and the guard spun toward it. "Who are you?" the owner demanded. "And how did you get in here?" "Oh, I've been here the whole time. You didn't see me?" the man asked teasingly. "I'm here on behalf of Lady Chyrla. She's quite concerned with the well-being of the museum. So, if you don't have time to look into it, would you mind handing that job over to me?" The owner's face went pale. "Well, if it's- if it's important to, to Lady Chyrla, then-" "Wonderful! Carry about your business, then, and I'll take care of everything." Summary
The party was greeted by Byltar, who emerged from HuSH's room, prompting a lot of eyebrow wiggles and a "you fucked my brother?" from snap in minor illusioned bubble letters. Byltar didn't spend too much time on the subject before proceeding to the other reason he was there--a disturbance at the Museum of Imperial History. He asked the party to investigate, which they agreed to do. They made their way to the museum and began their investigation. Mockingbird talked to some visitors about what they knew, and heard some rumors that the museum might be haunted. Meanwhile, HuSH and Liu spoke to the owner and rounded up the guards and ushers for questioning. They discovered that most were making up their stories, but a few weren't, and one--a guard named Merlin--had been attacked by a suit of armor recently. Using various spells, HuSH and Liu were able to view the incident and discover that some of the suits of armor had been glowing red. This, naturally, was immediately suspicious. They also determined that a few items had been recently brought to the museum. They investigated these items, one of which was a red gem which gave off faint magic. They confiscated the gem and sealed it in a lead box. Mockingbird also discovered that a set of the suits of armor had been worn by four important Silenean generals during the days of the Great War, and heard a story that sometimes suits of armor were able to come to life when imbued with significant emotion by their creator. The party came up with a multi-step plan: first, they would see if sealing away the gem would prevent the armor from animating. If that didn't work, HuSH and Mockingbird, disguised as Albert Phosphorescence Veretta and Silas Leen respectively, would put on a skit to try to appease the armor. If that also didn't work, they would enter combat. Unfortunately, sealing the gem did not work. "Albert" and "Silas" put on their play, with Silas slaying Albert. This seemed to anger the armor, so Albert was suddenly revived and killed Silas. For a moment, this seemed to satisfy the armor; one set even gave Albert a pat on the head. Then, Albert said something that seemed to cause the armor to realize that a deception was happening, and combat ensued. Fortunately for the party, they had thought to remove the armors' weapons, and a clutch plant growth by Siora prevented many of them from moving. Sustaining few injuries, they defeated the animated armor. Once it was over, they delivered the gem to Chyrlathyn. Secondary Assessment: on the subject of Hummingbird, Jiang, Morrigan, Sirieth, Tesni, HuSH, Liu, Mockingbird, Siora Arnasta, and snap
Reconnaissance: 10/10
Research: 9/10
Planning: 10/10
Creativity: 10/10
Teamwork: 10/10 Current Judgement: Since my last assessment, they have certainly taken previous criticisms into account. They display excellent planning and information gathering skills, and a high level of combat competence. Current Recommendation: The group has my full support moving forward.
Location: The Shallows - Astreia
Session Tags: medium stakes social
Date: 3/17/998 A Field In Astreia "Careful on the ice!" a young woman called to the children she was watching. "Don't go too far, Alana!" "Yes, Mama!" her daughter called. She smiled, watching the children play for a while before making her way over to a bench to sit down. Before she did, however, she looked down and paused. Around the bench, snow had started to melt away, revealing small flower buds. Her eyes widened, and she quickly called for the children to sit away from the ice as she hurried back to town. "Mrs. Arellan! Mrs. Arellan!" she shouted, running through town to the town hall. She pushed open the door to find a surprised older woman look over at her. "Yes, Freida?" Mrs. Arellan asked. Freida grinned. "Estus has blessed us with spring!" Summary
The party fucked. Literally all of them fucked. The end.
Location: The Shallows - Silene
Session Tags: medium stakes social, low combat
Date: 5/11/998 A Dimly Lit Office In Silene The quiet tap, tap, tapping of a pen pulled Avrin's attention over to Branleare. "How's it going?" he asked, setting his own pen down. "I'm just making sure I haven't missed anything," Branleare replied. "I don't want something to go wrong." "But if it does, you'll be near enough to fix it, right?" "That's not what I'm worried about." She looked up finally and sighed. "Unlike the rest of you, I don't actually want them to fail. And I certainly don't want them to fail because of something I didn't account for." "I doubt Byltar and Namia wanted them to fail," Avrin protested. Branleare smiled faintly. "I can't help but notice you leaving yourself out there." Avrin paused, choosing his words carefully. "I don't think they understand exactly what we're dealing with. And I don't think it's the kind of thing that can be explained. But if they don't understand, then they shouldn't be doing it." He frowned slightly. "Why do you want them to succeed?" Branleare was quiet for a moment before speaking in barely a whisper. "For our cousins. We're safe here, but so long as the threat remains, they put themselves in danger to hold it at bay. I'd like to see them no longer have to do that." "... For Indra?" "For all of them. But... Yes. For Indra." She turned back to her paper, and the pen tapping resumed. Summary
Oh geez oh boy wasn't this fun! The party was informed by Branleare that there were rumors of threats against Princess Thiltiene, and instructed the party to investigate. They started looking into it, and eventually went to interrogate Lord Aledian, the sponsor of the Bronze Sculptor Society, who had been arrested. During this interrogation, they encountered some phrases that were unnervingly reminiscent of phrases they'd heard from the animated armor at the museum. They then investigated his daughter, and discovered that she had... A huge crush on Princess Thiltiene. They didn't let go of their suspicions, but they weren't certain of things. The party arrived! They kept eyes out, and HuSH hung out with Lady Aledian until she approached Princess Thiltiene and asked to her to dance. As they danced, Liu noticed that someone had entered the space of the alarm she had set up. She headed quickly to the location and got there just in time to counterspell a sniper, whose shot activated the contingency (remove curse) on Lady Aledian, who had gotten her memories modified so people wouldn't be able to know she was evil. Shit started to go down. Lady Aledian killed Tesni, but was dragged away by Hum and buried. She plane shifted away, and people looked for her for a while before finding that out. They returned to the scene, resurrected Tesni, and had an audience with Lady Chyrla. Despite their mistakes, she agreed to allow them to continue, so long as they learned from this failure. Thus, the party managed to convince Chyrlathyn that this loop should proceed, with a promise of Silenean support in the war to come.
42,628 EC "Are you sure this is a good idea?" the girl whispered as the door closed gently behind her. "Of course it is," the boy said with an unworried grin. "Don't you trust me?" "Do you even have to ask?" The girl smiled and stepped further into the room. She looked around, then walked confidently over to a small glass case locked around a pedestal holding a rectangular bronze bar embedded with obsidian in the shape of a four-pointed star. The smile turned to a grin and she carefully unlocked the case and lifted it to take the amulet. The boy, meanwhile, made his way to a larger case around a gold crown encrusted with red gems. He whistled quietly and opened the case to take the crown. "You need better security," he said to the crown. Then he looked to the girl. "Come on. Let's go." He held out his hand. The girl nodded and took his hand. They stepped out the door, and alarms immediately started sounding. "Run!" the boy shouted. He took off, the girl close behind him. It didn't take long for them to see guards, but they kept running, outpacing them all. It wasn't until they were about to cross outside the building that the girl felt someone grab her arm. She looked back to see an imposing woman with pulled-back black hair glaring at her. "Did you really think you'd get away with that?" the woman said. The girl stared into her eyes, losing herself for a moment in her void-like pupils shaped like stars. Then she shook it off. "Let go!" she demanded. She ripped her arm away, but the woman caught the amulet. The girl held one end of it tightly as the woman tried to pull it away. For a moment, they were caught in a stalemate; then the girl's grip started slipping. "No!" With a last burst of effort, she pulled on the amulet. It glowed with a sickening black light, and finally snapped in two, sending both of them stumbling in opposite directions. The boy caught the girl. "Come on, let's get out of here!" he said, pulling her along out of the building. They ran towards the sound of crashing waves, and without thinking, they dove off a cliff into the churning ocean below. The waves carried them. Where exactly, they didn't know. But they came up near land, the girl looking at the broken amulet and the boy looking at the crown. Then they looked at each other, and the girl held up the amulet. "Do you think it's noticeable?" she asked. The boy stared for a moment, then they both started laughing. "Just a little bit," he said. He held out the crown to her. "Want to try it first?" The girl lowered the broken amulet and dipped her head. The boy rested the crown there, and she slowly looked up. "How do I look?" she asked. "Like a queen," the boy said. He grinned and placed a hand over his heart, bowing as well as he could while staying afloat. "All hail Queen Eris."
Session One: The Mockingbird
PC Level: 10Location: The Shallows - Silene
Session Tags: high stakes social, combat inadvisable
Date: 4/12/997 Summary
Upon arriving in the Shallows, the party was immediately greeted by a woman named Casandra and her starset dragon Azara. They were then led to a large governmental building, where they were presented to Lady Chyrla, the incarnation of the goddess Chyrlathyn. It was quickly revealed that Ernest was in fact a spy working for Chyrlathyn under the moniker Mockingbird--which not too slowly led to the realization that they were likely the individual who killed Ellette. The party continued their sudden mission, which was to convince Lady Chyrla that they should be allowed to continue their larger mission of fulfilling the prophecy. HuSH raised his negotiational authority level by revealing himself as Hyacinthus Sherwood Holmes, acting emperor of Brimera. Requests were made (including the release of the dragon gods and Ellette's soul), questions were asked (of Lady Chyrla: why does she not fight Alphosces herself?; and of the party: how certain are they that they can succeed?), and eventually a deal was struck: Lady Chyrla would consider their requests for the release of the dragon gods and Ellette's soul; she would also reserve judgement for after they had more of a chance to prove their capabilities. If she decided they could succeed, the Silenean armies would aid them in their fight. In return, they would continue to conduct their affairs with Mockingbird keeping an eye on them, and if they were deemed to be unable to succeed, the prophecy loop would be delayed once again. The party returned two items to her: half of a broken amulet given by Eris, and a box found in Kravedazox's hoard. The box she kept, but the amulet she joined to the other half and have to Mockingbird. The party left, going different ways for a while, before they all made it back to the ship. Various words were exchanged, Dan shot Mockingbird (who is no more dead than they were before), and Azara warned them that more harm done to Mockingbird would not be tolerated. The party split off into groups to discuss various things.
Session Two: Steelgate
PC Level: 10Location: The Shallows - Solymus
Session Tags: moderate combat, heist-like shenanigans
Content Warnings: potential severe consequences upon mission failure, may include magic restrictions
Date: 5/22/997 Inside A Prison In Solymus A tall, well-muscled elven woman slides a blue crystal tied up in a leather rope over to an armored guard, smiling ever-so-faintly. The guard takes the crystal and inspects it. "And how is our guest today?" she asks amusedly. "'Bout how you'd expect, ma'am. Nothin' much changed." "Wonderful." She held out her hand. The guard placed a small stone in it. "My name is Captain Sylfina Woodcrown, warden of Steelgate Penitentiary. I carry nothing not permitted to me by my station." She handed the stone back. "You're all set then, ma'am," the guard said. He opened the gate to let her through. Sylfina walked through the gate and headed further into the prison. She made her way to the back hallway and stopped about halfway down, then turned to the cell and smiled. "Good morning, Trishula. How are you today?" Summary
The party received word from Glasaeum that Trishula had been arrested and imprisoned in Steelgate Penitentiary, a semi-high-security prison in Solymus. They did some research on the prison and discovered that it was shrouded in a field of antimagic. As HuSH worked on papers for a false identity, Siora and Dan scouted out the prison, determining just how far the antimagic field extended. Eventually, they decided to approach from below. They soon discovered that the guards knew they were coming, and had been waiting for them. They also were able to realize that at least some of the guards had spellcasting foci which made them immune to the antimagic field. They engaged in a hefty amount of combat before managing to break Trishula out of his cell using Siora's wildfire spirit. No permanent casualties were sustained by the party, and they managed to recover Trishula's belongings and escape from the prison. Initial Assessment: on the subject of Funk Eris, Glasaeum, Hummingbird, Sirieth, Dathaniel Eris, Fjällndemir, Trishula, Hyacinthus Sherwood Holmes, and Siora Arnasta
Reconnaissance: 2/10
Research: 7/10
Planning: 5/10
Conviction: 10/10
Actions Under Pressure: 9/10 Current Judgement: When faced with a potentially deadly situation, prioritizes possible completion of the mission over survival. The group as a whole is a bit absorbed with its own competence, even when others may have greater expertise. Despite this, they agonize over plans for extensive periods of time, which their lack of information then renders less useful. However, they think well during a stressful situation, and were able to succeed against opponents who did not pursue. They also exhibit significant compassion, though this may amount to fear for their own standing with Lady Chyrla. Current Recommendation: More surveillance is needed to make an ultimate decision. Should they learn from their mistakes and accept their flaws, they will have my support.
Session Three: A Test of Incompetence
PC Level: 10Location: The Shallows - Acalloris
Session Tags: heavy combat, medium stakes social
Date: 7/13/997 A Rooftop In Acalloris "You got eyes on them yet, Rin?" He rolled his eyes, adjusting his glasses. "Affirmative. Five... No, six." "Last count was eight. You sure it's six?" "I know how to count, Byltar. It's six." "Roger that. Reporting six counted, two missing." There was a pause. "So, any plans later?" "None that concern you. What's the directive?" "Waiting for a response. Want to get dinner?" "No thanks. I don't-" "Mix business and pleasure. Yeah, yeah- hang on, I've got Branleare." The line went silent a moment, then picked back up. "Bran says hold off. The boss just wants us on standby." "Standby for what?" "The new toys. We're supposed to pop in if they screw up too bad." "You mean when?" "Yeah, probably." "And Branleare's okay with that?" "Seemed to be. She's got other plans. "What other plans?" He could practically hear the grin in Byltar's voice when he responded. "Seems it's time to take Malachi for a test run." Summary
The party was approached by a young aasimar by the name of Malachi, a prospective recruit for Chyrlathyn's elite squad. He informed them that their next task was investigating a potential threat in Acalloris--recent rumors of bronze sculptors taking action against the crown. The party split up to investigate. HuSH and Mockingbird headed out to talk to people using their Immense Powers Of Persuasion™️, while snap and Malachi went to the docks. They uncovered some very interesting information about the Bronze Sculptor Society ("lovingly" dubbed the BS Society), including that they had recently been missing from a major expo, and had been commissioned by the emperor to make a sculpture for his daughter. The party proceeded to Acalloris and continued their investigations. snap discovered that many places around the BS Society's headquarters were marked with thieves' cant warning people to stay away. The party also found out that some people had been hearing strange noises at night, and HuSH found scrapes on nearby walls that suggested something heavy had brushed against them. Finally, the party decided to scope out one of the side locations. Malachi, using arcane eye, discovered that it was entirely empty except for a hidden trap door. After sending a forward scout, the party descended into the tunnels below and found the bronze sculptors, along with several of their animated sculptures. The battle was difficult, with multiple party members reduced to unconsciousness more than once. In the end, however, the party was victorious. In the aftermath, they found that the head sculptor had several bits of metal infused into his body. Mockingbird used speak with dead on another of the sculptors, and eventually received some concerning information: this society was seeking the end of divinity. The party rested to recover their strength, and met Avrin, who took the head sculptor's body. They then returned to the ship, mulling over what they had learned. Initial Assessment: on the subject of Hummingbird, Morrigan Black-Rain, tssssssstch, Hyacinthus Sherwood Holmes, Agent Mockingbird, and snap
Reconnaissance: 7/10
Research: 5/10
Intellect: 6/10
Discernment: 3/10
Adaptive Strategy: 4/10 Current Judgement: Though they display a surface layer of competence, their preparations cease the moment they enter a combative environment. They are capable of manipulation tactics such that they draw out crucial information, and do sometimes have enough intelligence to draw meaningful conclusions from that information. However, they seem to draw a distinct line between the preparation phase and the action phase, where such a line does not, or rather should not, exist. While they were ultimately successful, their actions led to a far more dangerous encounter than necessary. Current Recommendation: They must work on their continuing assessment of situations while simultaneously engaging in combat. Should they improve on this front, their chances of success may increase to fifty percent, or higher should they improve greatly.
Session Four: The Farmer's Dilemma
PC Level: 10Location: The Shallows - Sagitta
Session Tags: medium stakes social, light-hearted
Date: 9/7/997 Around A Table In A Restaurant In Silene "... You're not serious," Avrin said. "Perfectly!" the red-haired woman replied cheerily. "Namia... You did understand the assignment, right?" Branleare asked gently. "Of course!" Namia insisted. "And... This is how you've chosen to do it?" Avrin raised an eyebrow at her. "Yup! And one other thing too, but this one's first." Branleare and Avrin looked at each other. Before they could say anything further, Byltar spoke up. "I think it's a delightful plan," he said. "And certainly borne out of careful consideration and nothing else." Branleare looked at Byltar disbelievingly. "You know something, don't you?" Byltar grinned. "What can I say? I'm just so easy to talk to. Anyway, I think you should be more supportive of Namia's idea. You can learn a lot from things that seem mundane!" Branleare sighed. "I suppose you're right. All right then, Namia. Go ahead." "Hooray!" Namia clapped excitedly. "This'll be so fun!" Summary
Namia came personally to the ship to deliver the next task to the party. She informed them that a friend of hers had to go away for a couple of days, and needed someone to look after his farm. The party accepted the job and made their way to Sagitta, where the farm was. Once they arrived, they set to work determining what all they would need to take care of, as well as inspecting the grounds and talking to some of the farmhands. Once they had a better grasp of the scope of the situation, they assigned tasks both to the farmhands and to themselves. Plants were growthed, sheep were sheered, cows and goats were milked, eggs were collected, and one very nervous rooster was encouraged to believe that he could, in fact, get it. A minor hiccup occurred when a delivery person hadn't been informed that they would be leaving feed with different people than usual, but it was handled... Mostly okay. At the end of their time at the farm, the party was given several bottles of milk and blocks of cheese for their trouble. Initial Assessment: on the subject of Brio Cadenza, Funk Eris, Hummingbird, Sirieth, Umbral, Ballad Cadenza, Blue, Dathaniel Eris, Hyacinthus Sherwood Holmes, and Siora Arnasta
Compassion: 7/10
Responsibility: 10/10
Accountability & Self-Assessment: 4/10
Independence: 7/10
Logistical Leadership: 8/10 Current Judgement: They are quite capable of fulfilling assigned tasks, and they show competence at determining the best way to go about such tasks. However, they are lacking in certain areas. Those wishing to be trusted with the ability to succeed in war must be able to assess their failings, accept their flaws, take responsibility for their actions, and realize that they may not always have complete information. While these shortcomings are not entirely prohibitive, they certainly have areas in which they must improve. Current Recommendation: So long as they keep their shortcomings in mind and work to improve their performance in those areas, I support their chances of success.
Session Five: Palace of Roses
PC Level: 10Location: The Shallows - Eridanus
Session Tags: high-stakes social
Content Warnings: temporary insanity, discussion of grievous harm towards children, depictions and/or implications of physical and psychological torture, hallucinations, possible inability to trust your senses, possible feelings of hopelessness, possible body horror
Date: 10/31/997 Late At Night, On The Deck Of The Ouroboros Thunk. The quivering man thudded onto the deck of the ship. "Y-you're not just going to leave me here, are you?" he asked. "You h-haven't even t-t-told me what to s-say to them." "I've done you enough favors," the cloaked figure beside him said. "Them too. You're on your own." She pulled her first back and punched him square in the nose, knocking him unconscious instantly. With the fresh blood, she started writing large letters on the deck of the ship. The next morning, those who go out on deck see a young man, covered in thin scars and with what appears to be a broken nose, next to two words written in blood: Convince her. Summary
In the morning, the party discovered a nearly-dead man on the deck of the ship next to the words "convince her" written in blood. They healed him and asked him some questions. They were eventually able to determine that he had been brought to the ship by Entropy, and that the words were a directive to convince Chishira to release the man's brother. After some discussion of how to approach the situation, the party finally made their way to Eridanus, where Chishira's mansion was located. At first, they attempted to forcibly remove the man's brother from the rose bush where he was trapped; however, the roses, seeming to have a mind of their own, held him tightly. The party then decided that they would need to go inside. They went into the mansion and cautiously made their way further in, until they found a room. Upon entering, they were immediately faced with Chishira. After some preliminary discussion, Chishira decided that she would introduce them to someone else, and if that person liked them, she would talk to them more. She brought them to the next room over, where they met Eden, Chishira's younger--and very dead--sister. Chishira left them to play with Eden, who seemed to want two things: head pats and tag. Unfortunately for the party, Eden had little physical control, and tagged very hard. They all managed to survive, some with more difficulty than others, which was apparently what Chishira meant by Eden "liking them." They returned to Chishira, who talked to them extensively, giving them some information, talking privately to a couple of them, and eventually getting HuSH to reveal that he'd determined he was the Wandering Child. After lengthy discussion, she agreed to let them have who they came for, so long as they provided a replacement. Dan left briefly and returned with the replacement, and they were allowed to leave. Whether they left in one piece, well... You can ask Ballad that.
Session Six: For Those Who Cannot Choose
PC Level: 11Location: The Shallows - Silene
Session Tags: high stakes social, light combat
Date: 12/14/997 A Dimly-Lit Office Late At Night "Namia? What are you doing still awake?" Branleare asked, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "You know tomorrow's going to be busy." "Just finishing up," Namia said. She scribbled one last thing, then looked at Branleare and smiled. "They know more what I'm looking for now. Maybe this'll give them a chance to do better." Branleare rolled her eyes fondly. "You're far too nice to them." "Well, what about you? How's yours coming?" "I'm still thinking about it." Branleare sighed. "But if you're done?" Namia nodded. "Yeah, I think so." "Good. Let's get some rest." Summary
Rather than coming herself this time, Namia simply left a to-do list pinned to the mast and Peri inside the ship's bell to summon the party. The list instructed the party to do several things for the general community before meeting a merchant named Elliot Maxwell. The party accomplished the tasks on the list admirably. Dan made incredibly good soup at the local soup kitchen, HuSH, Glasaeum, Brio, and Funk made someone's yardwork go much faster, snap and Ballad delivered some great toys to children at a hospital, Trishula and Tesni set up an excellent event at a seniors' home including a play put on by the ship's orphans, and several people were helped crossing the street. At the designated time, the party met Elliot Maxwell, who had been promised guards on his travel route, since bandits had been spotted in the area. The party provided this service, and did run into bandits. Things sort of went smoothly, other than Dan deciding to summon demons. But they defeated the bandits easily and Elliot Maxwell was delivered to his destination. After the mission, the party found a new to-do list pinned to the mast, identical except for one addition: to choose to sacrifice all the people they'd met during the day, or a member of the party. It was easily decided that the choice would be one of the party, and while many volunteered, it was eventually settled to be Trishula. Before any sacrificing could be done, Namia showed up and congratulated them for their choice, and assured them that no one was going to be sacrificed. She also lectured Dan just a little bit. But in the end, the party was very successful, and got a much improved grade from Namia. Secondary Assessment: on the subject of Brio Cadenza, Funk Eris, Glasaeum, Hummingbird, tssssssstch, Ballad Cadenza, Dathaniel Eris, Fjällndemir, Trishula, HuSH, and snap
Compassion: 10/10
Responsibility: 10/10
Accountability & Self-Assessment: 9/10
Independence: 10/10
Logistical Leadership: 9/10 Current Judgement: Despite Dathaniel Eris' lack of comprehension of the severity of the situation, he shows compassion (if, perhaps, over-excitement) towards most people. The others show incredible decisiveness, compassion, and leadership, understand the situation they have been placed in, and while they certainly do not like it, they accept it. Current Recommendation: So long as we are willing to accept the risks Dathaniel and his lineage present to the prophecy, I believe we should proceed with their goals.
Session Seven: The Festival of Creation
PC Level: 11Location: The Shallows - Perileos
Session Tags: light-hearted, low stakes social, light combat
Date: 1/1/998-1/7/998 Pinned In Various Places Around The Empire
On the first day of the festival, the party was drawn to the dragon racing and arena contests. Funk and Umbral both participated in the races, Umbral with a respectable 5th place and Funk tying for 1st. Funk then participated in the special starset races, coming in 8th. The group also participated in a group arena fight, where they managed to emerge victorious with minor difficulty. They also made some money by having them play seven dragon ante against Ria, and they did some shopping. Finally, they all went to pay their respects to Lady Chyrla, Emperor Tevar, and Princess Thiltiene (but not until after snap had convinced Blue not to do anything stupid). Trishula put on a very nice performance, and after some brief small talk, Lady Chyrla gave snap a package to deliver to HuSH. As they were leaving, Blue used skywrite to create an image of seven dragons in the sky. Upon receiving the package, HuSH discovered that it was for both him and Liu. They opened the contents together and were able to determine that the souls of Professor Zhang and Ellette had been returned. HuSH alerted Lukan. The next day, the second group went to the festival. They too participated in a group arena fight. While they struggled more than the previous group, they were also ultimately victorious. They then spent some time gambling and made a decent bit of money. With their new funds, they went to the festival's market and did some shopping, primarily for magic items. Once they were done shopping, they paid their respects to Chyrlathyn and headed back to the ship.
Session Eight: An Imperial Heist
PC Level: 11Location: The Shallows - Silene
Session Tags: moderate combat, medium stakes social, heist
Date: 2/8/998 In The Management Offices Of The Museum Of Imperial History "I swear, I'm not lying, and I wasn't seeing things!" the guard said, clearly distressed. "Uh huh..." the owner replied. "You understand this is a museum of... Inanimate objects? If someone had put some sort of enchantment on something, we'd know." "It's the only explanation!" the guard insisted. "Can't you at least get someone to look into it?" "We really don't have the staff for this... Kind of thing..." "You mean the kind of thing you think is made up?" The owner sighed. "Look, Merlin, you're a good guard, but you also have an... Overactive imagination. Remember last month-" "Oh come now, it's not hard to look into it, is it?" a new voice cut in. Both the owner and the guard spun toward it. "Who are you?" the owner demanded. "And how did you get in here?" "Oh, I've been here the whole time. You didn't see me?" the man asked teasingly. "I'm here on behalf of Lady Chyrla. She's quite concerned with the well-being of the museum. So, if you don't have time to look into it, would you mind handing that job over to me?" The owner's face went pale. "Well, if it's- if it's important to, to Lady Chyrla, then-" "Wonderful! Carry about your business, then, and I'll take care of everything." Summary
The party was greeted by Byltar, who emerged from HuSH's room, prompting a lot of eyebrow wiggles and a "you fucked my brother?" from snap in minor illusioned bubble letters. Byltar didn't spend too much time on the subject before proceeding to the other reason he was there--a disturbance at the Museum of Imperial History. He asked the party to investigate, which they agreed to do. They made their way to the museum and began their investigation. Mockingbird talked to some visitors about what they knew, and heard some rumors that the museum might be haunted. Meanwhile, HuSH and Liu spoke to the owner and rounded up the guards and ushers for questioning. They discovered that most were making up their stories, but a few weren't, and one--a guard named Merlin--had been attacked by a suit of armor recently. Using various spells, HuSH and Liu were able to view the incident and discover that some of the suits of armor had been glowing red. This, naturally, was immediately suspicious. They also determined that a few items had been recently brought to the museum. They investigated these items, one of which was a red gem which gave off faint magic. They confiscated the gem and sealed it in a lead box. Mockingbird also discovered that a set of the suits of armor had been worn by four important Silenean generals during the days of the Great War, and heard a story that sometimes suits of armor were able to come to life when imbued with significant emotion by their creator. The party came up with a multi-step plan: first, they would see if sealing away the gem would prevent the armor from animating. If that didn't work, HuSH and Mockingbird, disguised as Albert Phosphorescence Veretta and Silas Leen respectively, would put on a skit to try to appease the armor. If that also didn't work, they would enter combat. Unfortunately, sealing the gem did not work. "Albert" and "Silas" put on their play, with Silas slaying Albert. This seemed to anger the armor, so Albert was suddenly revived and killed Silas. For a moment, this seemed to satisfy the armor; one set even gave Albert a pat on the head. Then, Albert said something that seemed to cause the armor to realize that a deception was happening, and combat ensued. Fortunately for the party, they had thought to remove the armors' weapons, and a clutch plant growth by Siora prevented many of them from moving. Sustaining few injuries, they defeated the animated armor. Once it was over, they delivered the gem to Chyrlathyn. Secondary Assessment: on the subject of Hummingbird, Jiang, Morrigan, Sirieth, Tesni, HuSH, Liu, Mockingbird, Siora Arnasta, and snap
Reconnaissance: 10/10
Research: 9/10
Planning: 10/10
Creativity: 10/10
Teamwork: 10/10 Current Judgement: Since my last assessment, they have certainly taken previous criticisms into account. They display excellent planning and information gathering skills, and a high level of combat competence. Current Recommendation: The group has my full support moving forward.
Session Nine: The Blessings of Estus
PC Level: 11Location: The Shallows - Astreia
Session Tags: medium stakes social
Date: 3/17/998 A Field In Astreia "Careful on the ice!" a young woman called to the children she was watching. "Don't go too far, Alana!" "Yes, Mama!" her daughter called. She smiled, watching the children play for a while before making her way over to a bench to sit down. Before she did, however, she looked down and paused. Around the bench, snow had started to melt away, revealing small flower buds. Her eyes widened, and she quickly called for the children to sit away from the ice as she hurried back to town. "Mrs. Arellan! Mrs. Arellan!" she shouted, running through town to the town hall. She pushed open the door to find a surprised older woman look over at her. "Yes, Freida?" Mrs. Arellan asked. Freida grinned. "Estus has blessed us with spring!" Summary
The party fucked. Literally all of them fucked. The end.
Session Ten: The Oaths We Swear
PC Level: 11Location: The Shallows - Silene
Session Tags: medium stakes social, low combat
Date: 5/11/998 A Dimly Lit Office In Silene The quiet tap, tap, tapping of a pen pulled Avrin's attention over to Branleare. "How's it going?" he asked, setting his own pen down. "I'm just making sure I haven't missed anything," Branleare replied. "I don't want something to go wrong." "But if it does, you'll be near enough to fix it, right?" "That's not what I'm worried about." She looked up finally and sighed. "Unlike the rest of you, I don't actually want them to fail. And I certainly don't want them to fail because of something I didn't account for." "I doubt Byltar and Namia wanted them to fail," Avrin protested. Branleare smiled faintly. "I can't help but notice you leaving yourself out there." Avrin paused, choosing his words carefully. "I don't think they understand exactly what we're dealing with. And I don't think it's the kind of thing that can be explained. But if they don't understand, then they shouldn't be doing it." He frowned slightly. "Why do you want them to succeed?" Branleare was quiet for a moment before speaking in barely a whisper. "For our cousins. We're safe here, but so long as the threat remains, they put themselves in danger to hold it at bay. I'd like to see them no longer have to do that." "... For Indra?" "For all of them. But... Yes. For Indra." She turned back to her paper, and the pen tapping resumed. Summary
Oh geez oh boy wasn't this fun! The party was informed by Branleare that there were rumors of threats against Princess Thiltiene, and instructed the party to investigate. They started looking into it, and eventually went to interrogate Lord Aledian, the sponsor of the Bronze Sculptor Society, who had been arrested. During this interrogation, they encountered some phrases that were unnervingly reminiscent of phrases they'd heard from the animated armor at the museum. They then investigated his daughter, and discovered that she had... A huge crush on Princess Thiltiene. They didn't let go of their suspicions, but they weren't certain of things. The party arrived! They kept eyes out, and HuSH hung out with Lady Aledian until she approached Princess Thiltiene and asked to her to dance. As they danced, Liu noticed that someone had entered the space of the alarm she had set up. She headed quickly to the location and got there just in time to counterspell a sniper, whose shot activated the contingency (remove curse) on Lady Aledian, who had gotten her memories modified so people wouldn't be able to know she was evil. Shit started to go down. Lady Aledian killed Tesni, but was dragged away by Hum and buried. She plane shifted away, and people looked for her for a while before finding that out. They returned to the scene, resurrected Tesni, and had an audience with Lady Chyrla. Despite their mistakes, she agreed to allow them to continue, so long as they learned from this failure. Thus, the party managed to convince Chyrlathyn that this loop should proceed, with a promise of Silenean support in the war to come.
Arc Recap
What an arc, what an arc! The group met Chyrlathyn, and got assigned the task of convincing her that they could handle Alphosces. They had their highs, they had their lows, they had their lows-that-should-have-been-highs-but-the-grader-was-overly-strict, but in the end they succeeded! Also, they found two more prophecy children! Welcome Mockingbird, the Child of Darkness, and HuSH, the Wandering Child! I'm sure you will not meet horrible fates at the hands of destiny! And now we're off! With the promise of an army, we shall forge ahead to find new information about our great foe!Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments