Session 056: Welcome to Vivaria

General Summary

We start with the group (minus Aphid) in town. Tal decides that he can't remove the cover on the lock securing the box currently and the group decides to wait to look at jobs once they're back with Aphid. They spend some time putting together the perfect gift basket complete with flower imagery.
Aphid talks to Mossi in their birch clearing. Aphid apologizes. Mossi talks about Juniper Logton, the mouse they're engaged to. They discuss the traditional mouse shovel talk and the Springish saying "don't stand in the way of falling stones" as well as the options for saving Mossi from her engagement. Mossi suggests that in the end, all that Aphid can do (and all that Grandmother wanted) is to acknowledge that sometimes you have to give things up and abandon responsibilities in order to have an adventure. They float the idea of pulling off a wedding (if they can convince Grandmother and Mossi's parents to go along) or an elopement (if they're willing to take the heat) or just bringing Mossi along (Aphid argues that everyone else gets a familiar, Mossi points out that that's a fucked up comparison). They decide to discuss possibilities with the group.
Back at the manor, Hawthorn is happy to accept the gift basket. Aphid learns that his room is being renovated into a sewing room and his stuff has been put in the puce guest room, otherwise known as the punishment guest rooms for rude guests.
Mossi explains that a berry dowry was promised by the Logtons, who are influential. Bring better berries? the group suggests. Make them a home? A vacation home? Big gift basket to be house, ultimate gift basket with pineapple AND gourd? The group decides to focus on convincing Mossi's parents via the ultimate gift basket home and learn that Mossi has never actually told them she doesn't want to marry Juniper. She does not trust their open-mindedness, however, and wants to try the gift basket.
Back in town, the group goes to the adventurer's guild (the Magnificent and Elegant League of Wanderers and Explorers) to look at the job board. They are intrigued by the masquerade coming up and think they might be able to ask the Primrose Queen about attending. Their attention caught by the 5k bounty on a ripped notice. They spot similar ripped paper in the pocket of a halfling currently purchasing supplies. Jack takes a chance to go up and ask to see it. Chanda the halfling says sure... if they pay him 5,000g. Chanda's goliath companion tells them to piss off. Outside, Verity reveals that he has successfully stolen the paper, which says to report to Sergeant Mayphew regarding the dead or alive capture of the Red Hand, who has been targeting children.
North Wind hurries over to Thornguard West, a large guard tower on the west side of the city, to discover Sergeant Mayphew exiting with a waifish person of elvish descent. The person wishes the group luck and saunters off to meet Chanda and the goliath. Mayphew escorts the party into a squat guardhouse to the side of the large tower dominating the courtyard and gives them the rundown:
The Red Hand first started operating around five years ago and was linked to smaller crimes, but always signed their work with a red handprint. It used to be done in paint, now escalated to blood. Recently, every couple of days, a red handprint will appear over a doorway of a local home and by the next dawn a child living in that house will be dead. No sign of forced entry or how he's getting in. Most recently, tried to set up a sting operation. Both parent and guard blacked out and woke up to find the child dead. No discernable connections between families. All different races.
First victim: noble district, four years old
Second victim: temple district
Third victim: ten years old
Most recent victim: slums, eight years old
The last murder occurred last night; if the pattern holds it will be two to three days before another hand shows up. The bodies are being held at the temple of Ilvia, goddess of rot and decay. Mayphew gives them a wax seal of the Thornguard in order to gain entry. The families have agreed to speak to investigators, though Mayphew warns that they've been spoken to multiple times and are in grieving.
Aphid suggests putting aside the rivalry with the other group in favor of ending the violence; the group agrees to be high and mighty about doing it for the ~right~ reasons. Verity puts down for the record that he's definitely in it for the money, which Talasea agrees to.
Zenith plans to change Vermira into a hawk to scout for a fresh red hand in the vicinity of the previous murders. Aphid stops to put in an order for a custom gift basket. The rest of the group goes on towards the temple to Ilvia, in search of any information that could possibly save the next life to be targeted...

Report Date

20 Apr 2024

Primary Location

Vivaria