Codename: Sleeping Alley, Report the Twenty-Fourth

General Summary

We met the Alley Sleepers in the spraying vacuum of danger, infiltrating Riverskint, a city in which the political upheavals of Skint Parish have become crystalized. Each Sleeper has their own reasons for risking it all to enter the city. Once in that tumultuous place, our heroes paths diverged slightly.

A New Chosen for Xun

Aletha of the Flintclaw, beset by the troubling vision of her mother, Doxia, in an Ordinator uniform, is understandably at a loss as to how to process this information and sought the guidance of Xun. Luckily, Xun appeared in the form of a orphaned girl hanging around with the Thricedead. Xun urged Aletha to seek out her mother in Riverskint, but also to realize she's not alone with her burdens--she has her chosen family as well. Speaking of Chosen, Xun has decided that Aletha is worthy to bear her mark, to serve as a Chosen of Xun. This status--complete with branded & tattooed hand--is reflective of Aletha's deepening commitment both to Xun and to the people of Skint. Further, in her new role as Chosen, she can call upon the help of one Amnur Gardahelt, a dwarf devoted to Xun.
With Amnur's help, Aletha found out that her mother was currently leading a "suicide mission" against some invading drow coming up from the Abiding Black. Aletha and Hama sent out to investigate further and ended up saving Doxia from certain doom at the hands of some very capable drow warriors. The reunion between mother and daughter was less touching and more awkward, but apparently that is kind of par for the course for these leonin. The big take away for both parties, however, is that they weren't the only survivors of the Ascendency's wrath. If there are two, could there be more? Doxia agreed to see what she could find out and share with Aletha. And with that, the reunion ended. There was more work to do.

A Proxy War for the Refuge

Rieta was also about business--monastery business. She entered the city through the clever use of Reg's Pocket Watch to render her invisible. Once inside, she headed straight for The Open Fig Tavern and a meeting with Arkkarad, who informed her that the monks and mapmakers of Deneir's Refuge are now choosing sides, engaging in a covert war against each other to shore up political alliances and possible futures. To that end, the faction aligned against Arkkarad (and thus, Rieta and the Sleepers) is planning to assassinate Elder Nicklebeard as she attends the Triad Festival of Merriment in two days time. Rieta either needs to prevent this assassination or make sure that they can't pin in on the monks of the Refuge, as doing so would surely bring Ascendency heat down upon an already fractious organization. With that, Reita took her leave, scheming about how best to stop her order from tearing itself apart while also tearing the Ascendency apart.

Look, in the Sky, a Mouse

Hama vu Ivory Bee decided that he might best spend his time in the big city helping out his friends (and maybe fomenting a little rebellion in the process). But, he had enough of viewing this place from the perspective of a goliath--it was time to get street level and explore this place as a mouse. This had the added benefit, of course, of enabling him to sneak into Riverskint. Nice! Once there, he attended Rieta's meeting with her monk pal (hiding surreptitiously in her pocket), and then got an opportunity to let the downtrodden people of the city know that all is not lost, that--written in giant letters in the sky--HASHTAG ZETHERGYLL LIVES. Presumably, this served as a clarion call for the downhearted resistance (even if they did wonder over what a hashtag is). Hama then decided that maybe he could help Aletha out with her whole saving mom situation, so he did that too (and, it must be mentioned, artfully refrained from flaying any corpses this time around).

A New Crew for Old Svo'Kool

Meanwhile, Svo'Kool decided he didn't want anything to do with Riverskint. Fuck that city. That is, until he heard rumor that The Tallymook Ensemble is entering the city to perform during the Festival of Merriment. Oh shit! Svo'Kool has regarded those entertainers as heroes ever since he first encountered them during the Mankorla Gathering of the Arts back in Zoodov. Surprisingly, Svo'Kool both managed to charm the Tallymookers and offer a well-positioned bribe to gain them entry to the city. In return, Hymn Slattish, the impresario, offered to teach Svo some juggling tricks, being very impressed that Svo'Kool seems to have natural abilities. This is way better than sleeping in an alley and fighting all kinds of horrible shit. Nice!

Paths Merging

It turns out, however, that as much as paths diverge, they also come back together, this time to either prevent an assassination of a definitive rival to the Sleepers or to make sure Rieta's monks are not implicated in that assassination. Strange, but D&D be like that sometimes.
Svo'Kool's status as important understudy for his new crew will certainly come in handy as Reita and Svo'Kool case the Triad Concordance Opera House ahead of their performance of Our Uncle from Smallpeach during the Festival. Hama, having found the mouse life to his liking, decides to follow the intended assassination target, Elder Nicklebeard, to see what she's like. Turns out, she's not terrible. Just really focusing on getting things done, not so much on the religious or spiritual implications of the organization behind the doing. Reita, determined to seek out the rogue elements of her order, finds all kinds of very obvious indications that monks are in the city, but also manages to realize that the more secretive members are holed up somewhere in Sallow. Aletha, pondering her new burdens and powers as Chosen of Xun, spends her time wandering the city, communing with the orphans, pigeons and castoffs of urban life. There, she feels Xun's embrace, and can bear witness to Xun's message: all life is change.

And That's Where We Left It

We'll see how the Sleepers attempt to foil or discredit an assassination during our next session.

Character(s) interacted with

• Xun, goddess
• Amnur Gardahelt, dwarven farrier and devotee of Xun
• Arkkarad, compass of Deneir's Refuge
• Hymn Slattish, impresario and juggler of The Tallymook Ensemble
• Paint Smoke, kenku "jester" of The Tallymook Ensemble
• Garzara, half-orc "fixer" of The Tallymook Ensemble
• Tarecloth; Ommi; Hogdrew; Blueberry; Lil' Pek; Bheibum, players of The Tallymook Ensemble
• Doxia, mother of Aletha and Manifest Ordinator

Report Date

28 Mar 2021

Primary Location

Riverskint

Secondary Location

Abiding Black