Copperday, Soldiermoon, 1313
General Summary
Ironsides +8
Dargents +2
Masons +1
What she was waiting for isn’t coming. Angrily howling at her reflection in frustration.
Summoning Worgoth Tarot Card. Transcribe “Well Played”.
Experimentally tapping at the mirrors and getting no response (this time).
Cactus Cat progress: 5/8
Lindie makes Hugo's Bedchamber Soulsliver-proof.
Now that Victor is in charge of Laureat stuff, they have a professional noble tailor on retention, who have a Church of the Rich Man approved range as standard.
Saché is under Satine's direct mentorship. Is working with a Dance Tutor in one of the halls.
Satine seems distant and troubled. Looks like she has been crying. No indication as to why. Pulls on a rope and curtains come unstitched to create a portal to a tailor studio.
Satine: “Rubio, could we take a look at the new collection that my husband commissioned for you.”
Senior Chaplain Rubio Flambet. (born Rubric Flambit, but goes by Rubio Flambet). Cleric under Loquacius Farrukh.
Usual markup price is waved because Hugo is boss’s brother.
Glowing hand has turned into opening blooming silver flower with pink gem
Sash is silver on one side, pink on the other with silver thread
Headband no longer looks like eye – brass, bronze with green gem
Ring looks less like a ring of Djinni Calling and more like an Unseen Servant ring – but a fancy one.
Mirror for Menelaus (Minus 2 gp)
Subtext being spoken carefully around is that the Dargents are possibly going to have to change their initial plans for the moves they make in the court, and they want to ensure that the Baharats remain onboard with their support of the Dargent plans.
As a symbol of their allieship/bribe they are offering to gift Bugsby to Jessop so she can try to start a rabbit-breeding program. The offer has already been made.
Had been summoning Divs for the purposes of learning ancient forgotten occult rituals with the intent to then use those rituals for some unspecified, nefarious purposes, all the while using her closeness to Cobbler Bakerstreet to keep herself above suspicion.
The existence of forbidden summoning rituals was eventually detected. Cobbler became slightly obsessive about trying to crack that case. And as far as anyone was aware, Cobbler uncovered that Irene had been behind it and had called a @[Whisp er Vote](ritual:1e239abe-0577-41f0-8cfd-7b41cd4140da) on her himself to get her executed.
She had, by some magical trickery, attempted to escape before the execution verdict had been completed, and Cobbler personally caught up with her, interrupted her escape attempt. Something went down that resulted in her seemingly being killed at Cobbler's hands.
Now she has turned up alive and well, throwing many of Cobbler's presumed trustworthy claims into suspicion.
Of all people, Galia and Webb Nightkeeper have been gossiping among the Vizieras and have been partially responsible for some of the rumours about the coven. Specifically, the idea that the coven that Irene was running also included Katharine and Damasque Laureat and at least one of the Shajaras. According to them, this is something that Damasque Laureat confessed to privately. But Damasque Laureat is conveniently missing right now. List of crimes for which she was investigated and executed included practicing of the black arts (witchcraft is not illegal – summoning and other magic that her coven was involved in is what she was accused of), conspiracy to subvert the noble court, at least three counts of murder, an accusation of high treason against the court of the Amira.
Marriage: Copperday, Beggarmoon, 1282 both seemed to be Beggarites before moving to court, Felinet was born just out of wedlock.
Whisper Vote: Night of Takesday, Beggarmoon, 1291.
Escaped: on the Eclipseday after Whisper Vote.
Cobbler supposedly killed her the following morning (Scrapday, Thiefmoon, 1291).
Magic was involved in all three deaths, which is why it proved so difficult to identify the killer.
Cobbler caught her in a lie of some kind and unravelled it from there.
Old school detective instinct on Cobbler’s part, rather than her having left a detectable trail. Cobbler was able to out-trickster her.
Confirmation – rumours actively pushed by the Dargents and also by the Underhands and Shajaras as known allies of the Dargents. Nightkeepers are very suspicious of Cobbler.
Counter Argument – Masons, Carterholds and the Darktusks.
Ironsides are very concerned. They were trusting Cobbler with Katharine investigation until now. Have they given more information than they should have to someone they cannot trust. Not pushing it as avidly as Dargents or Nightkeepers but are on the concerned end of spectrum.
Not sure of value of Cactus Cats – fairly rare exotic plant/creature
How much did Hugo actually pay for Connie? 500 gp
Baharats have personally put in work with Martini 500 + cost of all the adjustments.
Cactus Cats possibly have a “fruiting season”.
The trusted place for nobles to go sell their soul gems.
Minus 1 Genie Elevator Gem
+16,200 gp (Put in Team Inventory – 1000 worth in Lindie’s account).
Jafar Darktusk is pushed around by Quince Darktusk-Carterhold.
Minus 1 Perceive Cues scroll
Jafar - so old and Russian! GHAH!
Ingestron Underhand: “In the Thievian church it is often opined that what is important is not so much what is likely but what is deadly.”
DETECT MAGIC
Hugo Aids Another to both Guinevera and Lindie (secretly) with the Jackalslicers!
Saif Jackalslicer: “Thank you for your advice, Viziera. We will think on it.”
Cardamom Baharat CHA 13: As a result of Hali working on them Flattery wise, currently main desire is to secure and deepen his family’s new found alliance with the Dargent human family. Already had a thing with the other elves, now Hali is inviting them to become part of the club with the human family.
Jessop Baharat CHA 13: As a result of Hali working on angle, main desire is getting a good deal on that rabbit. Bugsby. Hali has been like, you know what they would probably be likely to do if you help them out here is give you that rabbit for free.
Marid Genie (Walshazzer) CHA 16: Escape and go somewhere that there is water. Why is there no water here?
Small Fire Elemental (serving drinks) CHA 11: Not set on fire, not set on fire, not set on fire, not set on fire.
Talking to Walshazzer
Connie now has 6 determination
Hugo now has 12 determination
Grimoire Brasseyes CHA 16: Wants to get out of here.
Quince is out of her depth and not 100% sure what is going on, but is distressed enough about her missing husband that she is willing to take Rouge’s word for it.
Tea has been served in tea cups designed to look like clay mugs that are common place in the lower parts of the city, actually porcelain.
Section is discussing the requirements for certain occult rituals. And there is a particular ritual, labelled with the Gnomish words for “Retrace Steps”. Schrittezurückverfolken is the concept of retracing ones steps is a single very long word.
The Gnomish language was created by Gnomes whose obsession is linguistic.
Grimoire: “Any given occult ritual has certain components that are required in order to be possible at all. And other components that are advised in order to be reasonably certain to succeed.”
The requirements are more fluid. But they come with greater risk of backlash.
The Retrace Steps ritual, if pulled off correctly, should allow a nominated individual to perceive where a designated target went from a particular spot and to continue tracking them by this method, so long as they keep up with and accurately match the movements of the targeted individual in question.
In this particular case, we will need to conduct the ritual at a point that we know the recent Subvizier was recently at.
Draw a circle. Will need to be positioned around the marked circle. Bring along anyone else we are willing to let in on this. The convenience of it being one of the Darktusks that’s missing, is that it should be easier than usual from their estate to tap into the astrological constellation of the Thief, one of the celestial influences most suitable to draw power from to fuel a ritual of espionage such as this.
Grimoire can provide the primary casting but the individual who receives the benefits of the ritual would be best equipped to successfully receive these benefits without backlash if they are able to appear as close as possible to the target at the time. That’s why we brought in the Katib here.
Face concealing mask.
Grimoire: “Backlash is only a problem if we mess up.”
Lindie: (in Vishkanyan) “Grimoire Brasseyes, 1313. Final words.”
Not likely to be illegal. Connie’s understanding of ritual magic is limited. Certain rituals are expressly forbidden because they involve tapping into dark powers. Ritual magic is less well known and less formalised than actual spells and so a lot of rituals that can theoretically be conducted haven’t been identified as legal or illegal. This one doesn’t have anything that would be inherently illegal.
If the ritual is conducted satisfactorily but not perfectly it should be exhausting but not harmful. If the ritual does fail outright, then the people involved will take a certain amount of metaphysical damage to their own identity or personality which won’t be permanent and the central figure in the mask, you, would have a chance of being randomly teleported to an undiscernible location, if you lack the willpower to resist.
Also have stone carved tusked orcish skull above the gates as an intimidating aesthetic piece.
Any indication of any non-survivor religions (possibly from a previous orcish pantheon)? Quince leads us round the side, in a quieter less visible entry. It’s not clear whether she is trying to avoid being seen showing us in from outsiders or she hasn’t cleared it through Jafar.
She goes through a roundabout route to get to Sheikh’s quarters. Like Kronk, the Darktusk estate has stuff on the walls. Painted animal hides with that are tapestries.
Carved in stone and bone decorations.
There are some recurring imagery that I notice, that might be related to religious symbology or might have been an artistic tradition that I’m not familiar with.
Goes through the women’s quarters. Jafar’s estate has, in addition to the actual private drawing rooms etc. of the subviziera and areas for her guests, and the nursery and rooms for the maids and the nursery staff and female servants. Also a set of rooms which all seem to be permanently closed up and windows are caked in dust.
A set of quarters in this area of connected female focused rooms that are thoroughly locked up and don’t seem to have been used for a very long time.
An area which seems to have been repurposed a while ago – within the last decade or two. Also in this female focused area where all the female servants stuff is, repurposed as more general extra rooms for staff and guests etc.
Suspect that by analogy to what I’ve seen from other noble estates, this fairly sizeable region of the estate, was at one point a hareem. There used to be a bunch of in-house concubines that no longer live or work here. Their area has been repurposed.
Darktusk visual aesthetic favours images of sturdiness and being unyielding. General squat squareness of architecture. Everything is larger and chunkier than it needs to be.
There are shapes and symbols decorated into stuff that particularly seem to show up on animal hides and pillars that are part of the whole unyielding stability feel of the thing.
Symbol of four sickles in a cross – orcish semiography, possibly religious, possibly something else.
Images of flower buds and flowers and fruit. All recognisably parts of a fig tree. That show up only in the women’s areas of the estate. Don’t see it in the main estate, but this fig tree imagery is common in women’s areas.
Hareem areas has more emphasis on flowers of the fig.
Some of the servant areas and the Subviziera’s guestrooms have flower buds specifically.
The actual fig fruit itself appears on the disused dusty locked up doors and also in the nursery.
Other symbols without as obvious a pattern. A couple of framed painted animal hide portraits of previous Darktusk viziers. One of them has a brand. Torn arm uniform. Branded into the arm is a five-pointed star oriented such that the viewer has one point at the bottom, two above and two at the sides. (pentacle?)
A couple of painted hides in different places that have a recurring yellow eyeball symbol in their borders.
Oblique references to Termagant (not in a worship kind of way), but some of the scenes in the painted hides have orcish armies with war elephants and the elephants have termagant colours. Some of the artwork was painted with Termagant imagery in mind, the painters knew who termagant was and knew when it was appropriate to use termagant imagery in paintings.
Lots of Thievian and Soldierite imagery – Eight are venerated actively here. Metal is always gunmetal and black metal. Copper in Subviziera’s rooms and nursery.
2nd largest bedroom in this estate. Has a massive four-poster bed that has an intimidating wrot iron cage, and is decorated with homely ribbons to make it less intimidating. Nicely decorated but underneath homespun decors is aggressive Darktusk unyielding architecture.
Sheikh has a study with a Thievian shrine.
Sheikh has Stolen Words. Cannot read the word even with Darkvision. Two shades of metallic black.
Cody: “Spooky book, bro.”
Sheikh: “Altogether too many Thievians in this house for anyone to sneak in unnoticed. What are you and who sent you?”
Mephit: “I was sent here by a close relative of yours whom I’m sure you would want to meet.”
Scroll: Follow the mephit, bring no-one, tell no-one or we will spill your secret.
Sheikh: “Everyone has secrets here. Don’t see why I should believe you know any of mine. I’ve read enough stories of thieves to know what a trap looks like. Why would I walk into this one?”
Mephit: ???
Sheikh: “Take me to him.”
Daisy Buttercream lifts tray with a bunch of rats with bread and cheese. Rat and cheese toasties for Tito.
Tito: “This is probably the hardest job I have had to do in a long time. But I do appreciate that I am making a difference. Thank you.”
Labyrinth has rearranged itself over the course of the day. The route is entirely trap free.
Older part of the Labyrinth.
Collection of individuals were waiting for Sheikh.
Belle: ???
Sheikh: “I figured by now it would be you. Hello. Where is he?”
Belle: ???
Sheikh: “You already know the message your mephit brought. I’m talking about our mutual brother. My father’s eldest bastard. The heir. Where is he?”
Chime: “We don’t know any better than you there. But we figured there probably was one. And since you’re here, that means you think so too.”
Rat Ogre goes to snag Sheikh and Philly goes to cast a spell when shadows suddenly engulf Sheikh.
Over a sound like roaring wind through connection to Sheikh, Hugo hears Chime say something in Mongreltongue that he doesn't understand.
Start to see others mobilising to move out of room.
Another superimposed image of a corridor, still in the labyrinth and Sheikh is right ahead running blindly, gets to a junction, angrily shrugs, closes his eyes, picks a direction at random and runs off.
Single Dire Rat
Chime, Belle Buttercream, Rat Ogre Mongrelfolk, Rat King (on arm), Philly, Two other Mongrelfolk, Mephit
Philly creates Wall of Fire – purple fire
Grimoire summons an Ink Elemental from her book (can speak Terran)
Agamemenon: “Flametongue (Celestial) speak (Common)!”
Lindie kills Arib (and then stabs herself).
Ratlike Mongrelman not evil.
Ratlike Mongrelman: "This isn't your fight, rabbit!"
Ratswarm CHA 2: Unknown.
Chime CHA 9: Get as much of his team out alive as possible.
Klannis CHA 5: Two big ones. Play Along.
Doglike Mongrelfolk Rogue CHA 5: Unknown.
Ratking CHA 11: For the final few steps of this scheme to conclude smoothly so that it gets its payment.
Boulder Buttercream CHA 12: Unknown.
Belle Buttercream CHA 11: Unknown.
"Sheikh" CHA 11: Unknown.
Ratlike Mongrelman CHA 4: (Unconscious) Retrieve Chime.
Rouge Carterhold CHA 16: Get her sister safely out of here now that they've found Sheikh.
Sheikh (Actually Philly)
Faint aura on Boulder’s new belt: Don’t know
Faint aura on Belle’s axe: Don’t know
Belle has scars from having been flogged at some point.
Rouge Carterhold
Most of the hareem were toying with running away but Darktusks also ran military.
Belle wasn’t the only, or even the first, secret lovechild of that particular Vizier, but of course his hareem being what it was, most of them were controversial so they never told anyone.
Belle: “We were kept squirreled away down in the bowels of the estate. Those of us who were old enough got put to work in the kitchens or skulery. I did notice at the time they were all girls, which makes me think maybe he was hiding the boys somewhere else. But I can’t be sure, maybe he just by coincidence had no other sons but the legitimate one.”
Picked a fight he couldn’t win. Got confined to chair. Lost hold over estate and his hareem. Can say a lot about bad things about his son as well, but, Sheikh had enough sense of decorum to get rid of hareem as soon as he could.
Once he had taken enough from Jafar to start calling the shots, he tracked down the remaining offspring.
Set up Daisy with milkbar on condition that Belle was kept in secret, hidden away in milk bar. Others got similarly convinced into hiding.
Were promised that Darktusks would leave family alone and not bother them again, as long as they kept secret for them.
Belle: “Now obviously it’s tricky to grow up looking like me and not realise some of how the system is oriented regarding them as gets called mongrels. I sure as hell never got tall enough to be a real minotaur and nobody was ever going to mistake me for an orc.”
Others like her in the city – not secret noble love children but just offspring of unconventional partnerships, whose “pedigree” was in question.
Belle made some friends and acquaintances among mongrelfolk. Found herself a likeminded community.
Belle: “Little while after that they started handing out these flyers in the slums and the remembrance gardens. Seems some older colony of mongrelfolk from way further down has got something of a plan to change things and they’re looking for new recruits.”
Belle: “As you can imagine, I ain’t got no love for the nobility as it currently stands so figured I would hear them out.”
Belle: “Just recently, little Philly mentions to me that they been suffering a lot of setbacks of late. Been trying to get what they need for a ritual they’re cooking up to allow them to stand against the nobles and, uh, every time they try and get together everything they need, something goes wrong and they end up in the spotlight of the Heel of the Amira. Most of them forced into hiding. I don’t know if you’ve, uh, been to any of the remembrance gardens or even just the slums where the mongrelfolk were gathering but a lot of them have been targeted. Folks driven out. Forced deeper into hiding. Seemed they may have been in need of something of a miracle to keep their plans from falling apart. But, uh, thing was the main element of this ritual that the couldn’t do without that they didn’t have already – there was something in the text about a second son born an heir. Obviously that’s a pretty specific ingredient. By definition you ain’t an heir if you ain’t a second son."
Belle: "I got to thinking about all them half-siblings of mine, how I never saw a single boy among them."
Belle: “After 3 decades of having to hide myself away to keep Sheik’s attention off my parents well, maybe I was just looking for an excuse to get something back at him.”
Where is Sheikh now? – Somewhere further down. Wherever the Patchwork Empire is hiding out while they try and get things together. Hopefully somewhere the Amira's Heel isn't going to find him.
Belle: “Philly’s a smart girl, one of the smartest I’ve ever met, but I don’t know that she can get herself and all of them out of there alive. I feel like it’s maybe on account of me that she felt so strongly about going up there.”
All they needed was their second born heir. Once they got Sheikh, could have tried to escape when they were still in the labyrinth. Probably easier to get away. But they figured if they got Philly occupying Sheik’s identity for a few hours, the opportunity to get into the Darktusk’s estate and do some damage was too good to pass up.
Belle didn’t argue.
Belle: "I’d like to see them wiped out as much as anyone frankly. But I’m starting to feel like if it, if it weren’t for me and if I hadn’t told them my whole story, seems probably Philly wouldn’t have been quite so keen to risk everything just to take out an already dying old man."
Mentioned Gast Darktusk to Belle.
Belle: “That’s a damn shame. Baby don’t deserve to be caught up in that. Can’t blame a child for who his father is. I guess that would be the most hypocritical I could be wouldn’t it?”
Belle: “Ah, salt and sand, I’m gonna have to rescue that fuckin’ baby!”
Belle: "When they took mamma and me out, they ferried us out a little forgotten backdoor down in one of the lower floors of the estate without having to bypass the checkpoints between here and the noble quarter. So if that door’s still there, I can use it to get back in the same way. And I think I still know how to get to their old prisoner cells because I used to clean them when I was a little tyke. So if they’re holding them there, we might be able to get to them and stop them releasing that big monster of theirs. If I’m too late, then I’m either going to have fight a giant monster or I’m going to have to find that baby and run away with it. I don’t fancy my chances with either of those. This ain’t much of a plan, but I guess its better than nothing."
Storyteller, Protector of little people, They look after all the orphans in the world.
Tito: "Time was I had… I used to have magic a long time ago. I don’t have that any more. But I used to have magic from that one. Sometimes when I was asleep or just super high, I was pretty sure I could hear the voice of Tybalt. And they’d tell me things and I’d tell the other orphans. Anyway, I stopped hearing them pretty much when I left the orphanage."
So Tito was a Tybalt Oracle?
Tito: “I only ever had two boyfriends at once. Unless you count all those great guys at the Pleasuredome. In which case I think I maxed out at twelve? I’m pretty sure it was twelve.”
Like a lot of Catfolk Orphans, Tybalt got taken under the wing of a sweet old lady called Granny Ginger.
Tito: "I think she has her place on Troubledown Lane.”
Little Ginger Annie – Annie is what Granny Ginger was called by people who weren’t significantly younger.
She was a great orphanage lady.
Tito: “When I was hearing the voices of Tybalt and had questions, she knew most of the answers. But I wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone about it. So pretend I didn’t say that.”
They called them Troubled Kids, might have been because they were from Troubledown Lane, or they were maybe super traumatised.
Tito: “They did say that when they spoke to people directly it was people that needed them specifically and that they specifically needed to look after others. And they did say that looking after orphans and children was their main deal. So it would make sense that once I’m not an orphan child surrounded by other orphan children, they’d need someone else. That makes sense to me, right?”
Granny still worshipped Prince of Orphans.
Suggested Tito look into the Beggar Man, who looks after homeless and down on their luck adults.
Whirling-In-Rags has a shrine way down in the labyrinth. She’s a really old god, this one doesn’t look like anything. Spinning mass of fabric tendrils.
Cody is making white Russians with his milkshake.
8 fully loaded triple decker – pizza place. Charged to Hugo’s stipend 20 gp (Already accounted for in World Anvil).
10 gp bet on Tito eating all of it.
Ancient Harbour was once a loading dock for carpets. No longer used because it has sunk down and has been replaced further up.
Orcish nobility prefer to cremate their dead themselves rather than using the official cremation services. The Darktusks in particular have what were originally watchtowers. The watchtowers are topped with beacons (cages of firewood that can be lit to make a signal). These beacons are used as cremation pyres. It has now been long enough given Orcs are naturally nocturnal, that they are about to start or actively in the process of doing the funeral ceremony just before setting light to Arib’s corpse. All of the family and staff that aren’t on duty to be on shift in the morning. Everyone who is on shift in the morning will be asleep.
Belle has to chose between being good at stealth or being good at fighting. (+14 stealth).
Stealthing through kennels will be difficult
2 watchtowers on each side of the estate. Every few floors can make it easier to cross.
10 floors in total
1 – kennels
5 – hatch on roof
8-10 – Cells
Kennels --> Barracks --> Cells
Non-guard sleeping quarters --> Chaplaincy: Thievian and Soldierite. Soldierite chaplin (for Arib). Thievian senior chaplin.
Can go through this entry and would have to enter the first floor of the kennels and then could cut across.
Belle doesn’t know entrance to the other tower, but would require some amount of searching (might encounter people).
Greenskins use wolfhounds.
Kennelmaster Dhali? Only has one name. Maybe because he’s a dog?
Dhali: “Shut up, Blackfur, the guards are just idling again.”
Dhali: “That does sound in character. If you could keep your antics to a minimum, there are people trying to sleep.”
Vulpix has learned 3 phrases in Orcish:
The best way to ensure no-one questions me further: “The vizier insists.”
Dargents +2
Masons +1
The Actions of the Wolf
The Wolf was left without many options. Have memories of pacing around specifically marking a rough circle measuring out. And then making sure to stay out of the circle and waiting.What she was waiting for isn’t coming. Angrily howling at her reflection in frustration.
Summoning Worgoth Tarot Card. Transcribe “Well Played”.
Experimentally tapping at the mirrors and getting no response (this time).
Cactus Cat progress: 5/8
Lindie makes Hugo's Bedchamber Soulsliver-proof.
Visiting Dargent-Laureat Estate
Minus 8 gp to get material (velvet) – range of complimentary shades of grey. Sterling, Ocean, Shark Grey, Scale, Sharkstooth, Ingot, Denticle, Orchid, Matt Silver, Royal Grey (matt). There are also reflective shiny version – popular choice is “crown”, also Royal Grey, that Lindie does not purchase.Now that Victor is in charge of Laureat stuff, they have a professional noble tailor on retention, who have a Church of the Rich Man approved range as standard.
Saché is under Satine's direct mentorship. Is working with a Dance Tutor in one of the halls.
Satine seems distant and troubled. Looks like she has been crying. No indication as to why. Pulls on a rope and curtains come unstitched to create a portal to a tailor studio.
Satine: “Rubio, could we take a look at the new collection that my husband commissioned for you.”
Senior Chaplain Rubio Flambet. (born Rubric Flambit, but goes by Rubio Flambet). Cleric under Loquacius Farrukh.
Usual markup price is waved because Hugo is boss’s brother.
Trinkets and Sundries
Hugo goes to get barcode-scrubbed stuff.Glowing hand has turned into opening blooming silver flower with pink gem
Sash is silver on one side, pink on the other with silver thread
Headband no longer looks like eye – brass, bronze with green gem
Ring looks less like a ring of Djinni Calling and more like an Unseen Servant ring – but a fancy one.
Mirror for Menelaus (Minus 2 gp)
Ears of the City
Round 1 – Bugsby purchase
Snippets of conversation between Guinevera Dargent and Jessop Baharat where outwardly they appear to be making small talk about the rearing of bunnies. The fact that their respective rabbits seem to get on well.Subtext being spoken carefully around is that the Dargents are possibly going to have to change their initial plans for the moves they make in the court, and they want to ensure that the Baharats remain onboard with their support of the Dargent plans.
As a symbol of their allieship/bribe they are offering to gift Bugsby to Jessop so she can try to start a rabbit-breeding program. The offer has already been made.
Round 2 – Irene Bakerstreet
Irene Bakerstreet, according to the rumours and conversations in the noble quarter, she was seemingly the leader of a Coven. And was practicing forbidden summonings.Had been summoning Divs for the purposes of learning ancient forgotten occult rituals with the intent to then use those rituals for some unspecified, nefarious purposes, all the while using her closeness to Cobbler Bakerstreet to keep herself above suspicion.
The existence of forbidden summoning rituals was eventually detected. Cobbler became slightly obsessive about trying to crack that case. And as far as anyone was aware, Cobbler uncovered that Irene had been behind it and had called a @[Whisp er Vote](ritual:1e239abe-0577-41f0-8cfd-7b41cd4140da) on her himself to get her executed.
She had, by some magical trickery, attempted to escape before the execution verdict had been completed, and Cobbler personally caught up with her, interrupted her escape attempt. Something went down that resulted in her seemingly being killed at Cobbler's hands.
Now she has turned up alive and well, throwing many of Cobbler's presumed trustworthy claims into suspicion.
Of all people, Galia and Webb Nightkeeper have been gossiping among the Vizieras and have been partially responsible for some of the rumours about the coven. Specifically, the idea that the coven that Irene was running also included Katharine and Damasque Laureat and at least one of the Shajaras. According to them, this is something that Damasque Laureat confessed to privately. But Damasque Laureat is conveniently missing right now. List of crimes for which she was investigated and executed included practicing of the black arts (witchcraft is not illegal – summoning and other magic that her coven was involved in is what she was accused of), conspiracy to subvert the noble court, at least three counts of murder, an accusation of high treason against the court of the Amira.
Round 3, 4 and 5 – Dates surrounding Irene Bakerstreet and Coven
Born: Givesday, Thiefmoon, 1264.Marriage: Copperday, Beggarmoon, 1282 both seemed to be Beggarites before moving to court, Felinet was born just out of wedlock.
Whisper Vote: Night of Takesday, Beggarmoon, 1291.
Escaped: on the Eclipseday after Whisper Vote.
Cobbler supposedly killed her the following morning (Scrapday, Thiefmoon, 1291).
Round 6 – The Irene Bakerstreet Murders
Three specific counts of murder linked to her:- Company Man – Weatherton Spender (Eclipseday between Soldier and Sailormoon, 1288)
- Detective Inspector Dixon Ratcliffe (Cobbler’s seneschal at the time) (Eclipseday between Beggar and Thiefmoon, 1288)
- Amira's Left Hand (Eclipseday between Beggar and Thiefmoon, 1289)
Magic was involved in all three deaths, which is why it proved so difficult to identify the killer.
Cobbler caught her in a lie of some kind and unravelled it from there.
Old school detective instinct on Cobbler’s part, rather than her having left a detectable trail. Cobbler was able to out-trickster her.
Round 7 – Cobbler Bakerstreet
My rumour has prevented the entire court from turning on him. Sense of unease. Still rumours within certain families within the court that are not favourable to Cobbler suspecting him of, at the very least, not having told the full truth about the supposed killing of Irene. Potentially escalating all the way up to “how sure are we that she wasn’t a fall guy for him all along?”Confirmation – rumours actively pushed by the Dargents and also by the Underhands and Shajaras as known allies of the Dargents. Nightkeepers are very suspicious of Cobbler.
Counter Argument – Masons, Carterholds and the Darktusks.
Ironsides are very concerned. They were trusting Cobbler with Katharine investigation until now. Have they given more information than they should have to someone they cannot trust. Not pushing it as avidly as Dargents or Nightkeepers but are on the concerned end of spectrum.
Round 8 – The Deconstructor
Most common theory before it was found, whoever gained control of Whistlethorp was working with Mongrelfolk. Since it has been found, general confusion. Why was it in a bank vault? Pervading theory amongst those who’ve talked about it, I guess somebody was trying to set up a bank robbery.How much did Hugo actually pay for Connie? 500 gp
Baharats have personally put in work with Martini 500 + cost of all the adjustments.
Cactus Cats possibly have a “fruiting season”.
- Is it now? No.
- Can these ones pollinate each other? Duh, one has a head bow and one has a bowtie.
The trusted place for nobles to go sell their soul gems.
Minus 1 Genie Elevator Gem
+16,200 gp (Put in Team Inventory – 1000 worth in Lindie’s account).
Noble Court
Notable people missing – Satine Dargent-Laureat, Sheikh Darktusk, Arib Darktusk.Jafar Darktusk is pushed around by Quince Darktusk-Carterhold.
Minus 1 Perceive Cues scroll
Jafar - so old and Russian! GHAH!
Ingestron Underhand: “In the Thievian church it is often opined that what is important is not so much what is likely but what is deadly.”
DETECT MAGIC
Detect Magic
- Nobody has cast anything on anyone else. There are enslaved Genies at the corners of the room that have Detect Magic active that are looking for corruption/espionage etc.
- Guinevera has a reasonably faint Enchantment and Transmutation and aura on her. Moderate Conjuration aura on her bracelets and Moderate Transmutation on her staff. Faint Abjuration, Enchantment and Universal (Signet Ring – everyone has one of these!)
- Hali has a moderate Transmutation aura on him.
- Cassilda has nothing on her except the ring. Faint divination on necklace charm.
- Richard has same conjuration bracelets as Guinevera. He has Transmutation aura on Morningstar. Faint Divination on monocle.
- Haruspex has faint Divination on his mask. Faint transmutation on his Kukri. Faint illusion on his cloak. Faint illusion on his shoes. Faint Divination on his Signet Ring (rather than Abjuration, Enchantment and Universal).
- Crepuscule has Faint Necromancy and Divination on mask. Faint Conjuration and Transmutation on Armoured coat. Book has faint transmutation.
- Victor has same ring as father. Faint Divination on monocle (like father).
- Ingestron has Faint Necromancy and Divination on mask (like mother). Faint transmutation on Kukri (like father). Same Signet as Dargents. Faint Transmutation on robes/outfit in general.
- Everyone has at least a Signet Ring.
- Masons have all got magic cybernetics.
- Ironsides have magical weaponry (Balthazar has cybernetics). Magic armoured clothing.
- Stargazers have a bunch of magic stuff. Leopold has magic staff and magic trinkets and in his pockets.
- Andromeda’s lantern mast staff is magic (faint divination). Hat and cloak also magic.
- Kronk’s hammerstaff is magic.
- Jafar’s wheelchair is magic.
- Brasseyes have weird magic trinkets. Aegis has magic shield.
- Shajaras have less than most people, because they keep their magic stuff at home (dubious legality)
- Cassie wearing the magic chainmail that Kronk was making while we were at their house last. Worn under her librarian’s gear. She has her regular glasses and magical goggles that she can pull down over her glasses.
- Jackalslicers don’t have a lot of magic, but they have some. Odd piece of magic jewellery. For most part their scimitars are mostly decorative (still sharp).
- We’re the most magicked-up at Court. Most of the nobles have magic armour and weapons at home that they don’t wear to court. Brasseyes have more magic than us and so does Leopold.
- Lord Captain Emissary has every part of his outfit magic. Crown turban, monocle, jacket, shoes, belt, sword. Signet ring is Evocation and Divination moderate.
- Genies all have magical bindings at throat, wrist and ankles. Several are bound to not leave a particular distance from certain lamps (like the bottle in Menelaus’s room).
Hugo Aids Another to both Guinevera and Lindie (secretly) with the Jackalslicers!
Saif Jackalslicer: “Thank you for your advice, Viziera. We will think on it.”
Detect Desires
Hali Shajara CHA 17: Ensure that these elves are on board with the Dargents current plan. Most pressing current desire would be to convince them to get rid of Cobbler Bakerstreet.Cardamom Baharat CHA 13: As a result of Hali working on them Flattery wise, currently main desire is to secure and deepen his family’s new found alliance with the Dargent human family. Already had a thing with the other elves, now Hali is inviting them to become part of the club with the human family.
Jessop Baharat CHA 13: As a result of Hali working on angle, main desire is getting a good deal on that rabbit. Bugsby. Hali has been like, you know what they would probably be likely to do if you help them out here is give you that rabbit for free.
Marid Genie (Walshazzer) CHA 16: Escape and go somewhere that there is water. Why is there no water here?
Small Fire Elemental (serving drinks) CHA 11: Not set on fire, not set on fire, not set on fire, not set on fire.
- Walshazzer speaks telepathically, (sounds bubbly)
- By the Palimpsest calendar his birthday would be Givesday, Sailormoon. That’s my birthday! And also the Sphinx’s. And also Katharine Ironside’s.
- What would that be in your calendar? The date in the Marid’s own culture would be Four-Fifths Shahzarad Slipstream.
- There are no commas on West Star (i.e. Aquan).
- Plane of Water does not have any moon or stars of its own to speak of. Calendar is not based on anything astrological.
- A particular slipstream current winds its way through the entire plane and gets back to where it started. Dates are measured by the progress of the slipstream.
- Marid Noble (Shahzarad) named the Shahzarad Slipstream and Walshazzer is also indirectly named from the same root ("shaz").
- Slipstream is in the same shape as the moonpath. Every elemental plane has an imprint or reflection of the moonpath in that plane as a reminder that death has providence even there. All named after genie nobles that discovered or claimed them.
- Wind Current in North Star – Vortex of Vrizza
- Torrent of Fire in East Star – Maliketch Convection
- Plate Faultline in South Star – Kal-Pasha Fault
Connie now has 6 determination
Hugo now has 12 determination
Detect Desires
Sybiline Brasseyes CHA 16: Avoid being targeted next and in general (by human nobles).Grimoire Brasseyes CHA 16: Wants to get out of here.
Whisper Vote
Cobbler Forgiven- Forgive: Bakerstreet, Mason, Jackalslicer, Brasseyes, Nightkeeper, LCE, Greenskin, Stargazer, Darktusk
- Exile: Ratrider
- Execute: Dargent, Underhand, Dargent-Laureat, Shajara, Baharat, Carterhold, Ironside
- Forgive: Ironside, Bakerstreet, Jackalslicer, Greenskin, Brasseyes, Nightkeeper, Stargazer, Mason
- Banish: Dargent, Dargent-Laureat, Underhand, LCE, Darktusk, Carterhold, Shajaras, Ratriders, Baharats
Connie: “Hi Castor Stargazer, It’s Connie. Hugo’s rabbit. We need your star magic to save people. Can you meet at usual place? Puleeese. Best wishes, Connie.”
Castor: “Oh, uh. I’ll see if I can get away. Uh, be there when I can. Thank you. Castor.” Connie requests Katib Castor Stargazer's help using a Sending spell.
Carterhold Estate
- Carterhold estate is all carefully designed rustic chic. Wooden beams designed to look old and distressed, but lacquered and polished over the distress marks. Very expensively sourced and maintained prettiest possible versions of common looking materials. Commonplace bricks but the most well-made bricks for what they are.
- Everything is bespoke homespun. Fabric lace curtains that would be a homemade thing that people who can’t afford to buy curtains would make themselves. Hand carved wood. All professionally made.
- All of their rooms are as big as the Dargent rooms, but where the Dargent rooms are minimalist to see the silver plating everywhere, these ones are designed to give a impression of the aesthetics of cramped and cluttered spaces without at any point being cramped and cluttered.
- The way that a lot of Christmas markets are gesturing in the direction of a german peasant village in their aesthetic design but also a pleasant shopping experience for well off people.
- Handcarved, faux distressed table. Fireplace that is simple homely metal and fireguard but too big and professionally made to look convincing. Blue faux handmade curtains.
Quince is out of her depth and not 100% sure what is going on, but is distressed enough about her missing husband that she is willing to take Rouge’s word for it.
Tea has been served in tea cups designed to look like clay mugs that are common place in the lower parts of the city, actually porcelain.
Schrittezurückverfolken Ritual
Grimoire’s book – No displayed title. It has a similar appearance to Grimoire’s spellbook. Family collection of Arcane knowledge rather than an officially published text.Section is discussing the requirements for certain occult rituals. And there is a particular ritual, labelled with the Gnomish words for “Retrace Steps”. Schrittezurückverfolken is the concept of retracing ones steps is a single very long word.
The Gnomish language was created by Gnomes whose obsession is linguistic.
Grimoire: “Any given occult ritual has certain components that are required in order to be possible at all. And other components that are advised in order to be reasonably certain to succeed.”
The requirements are more fluid. But they come with greater risk of backlash.
The Retrace Steps ritual, if pulled off correctly, should allow a nominated individual to perceive where a designated target went from a particular spot and to continue tracking them by this method, so long as they keep up with and accurately match the movements of the targeted individual in question.
In this particular case, we will need to conduct the ritual at a point that we know the recent Subvizier was recently at.
Draw a circle. Will need to be positioned around the marked circle. Bring along anyone else we are willing to let in on this. The convenience of it being one of the Darktusks that’s missing, is that it should be easier than usual from their estate to tap into the astrological constellation of the Thief, one of the celestial influences most suitable to draw power from to fuel a ritual of espionage such as this.
Grimoire can provide the primary casting but the individual who receives the benefits of the ritual would be best equipped to successfully receive these benefits without backlash if they are able to appear as close as possible to the target at the time. That’s why we brought in the Katib here.
Face concealing mask.
Grimoire: “Backlash is only a problem if we mess up.”
Lindie: (in Vishkanyan) “Grimoire Brasseyes, 1313. Final words.”
Not likely to be illegal. Connie’s understanding of ritual magic is limited. Certain rituals are expressly forbidden because they involve tapping into dark powers. Ritual magic is less well known and less formalised than actual spells and so a lot of rituals that can theoretically be conducted haven’t been identified as legal or illegal. This one doesn’t have anything that would be inherently illegal.
If the ritual is conducted satisfactorily but not perfectly it should be exhausting but not harmful. If the ritual does fail outright, then the people involved will take a certain amount of metaphysical damage to their own identity or personality which won’t be permanent and the central figure in the mask, you, would have a chance of being randomly teleported to an undiscernible location, if you lack the willpower to resist.
Darktusk Estate
Older than any of the human estates. Extends further down. More recent architecture emulates the more human style. Darktusk towers are for the most part are imposing squared off oblong constructions of dark stone. Decorated in various places with outcrops that look like tusks.Also have stone carved tusked orcish skull above the gates as an intimidating aesthetic piece.
Any indication of any non-survivor religions (possibly from a previous orcish pantheon)? Quince leads us round the side, in a quieter less visible entry. It’s not clear whether she is trying to avoid being seen showing us in from outsiders or she hasn’t cleared it through Jafar.
She goes through a roundabout route to get to Sheikh’s quarters. Like Kronk, the Darktusk estate has stuff on the walls. Painted animal hides with that are tapestries.
Carved in stone and bone decorations.
There are some recurring imagery that I notice, that might be related to religious symbology or might have been an artistic tradition that I’m not familiar with.
Goes through the women’s quarters. Jafar’s estate has, in addition to the actual private drawing rooms etc. of the subviziera and areas for her guests, and the nursery and rooms for the maids and the nursery staff and female servants. Also a set of rooms which all seem to be permanently closed up and windows are caked in dust.
A set of quarters in this area of connected female focused rooms that are thoroughly locked up and don’t seem to have been used for a very long time.
An area which seems to have been repurposed a while ago – within the last decade or two. Also in this female focused area where all the female servants stuff is, repurposed as more general extra rooms for staff and guests etc.
Suspect that by analogy to what I’ve seen from other noble estates, this fairly sizeable region of the estate, was at one point a hareem. There used to be a bunch of in-house concubines that no longer live or work here. Their area has been repurposed.
Darktusk visual aesthetic favours images of sturdiness and being unyielding. General squat squareness of architecture. Everything is larger and chunkier than it needs to be.
There are shapes and symbols decorated into stuff that particularly seem to show up on animal hides and pillars that are part of the whole unyielding stability feel of the thing.
Symbol of four sickles in a cross – orcish semiography, possibly religious, possibly something else.
Images of flower buds and flowers and fruit. All recognisably parts of a fig tree. That show up only in the women’s areas of the estate. Don’t see it in the main estate, but this fig tree imagery is common in women’s areas.
Hareem areas has more emphasis on flowers of the fig.
Some of the servant areas and the Subviziera’s guestrooms have flower buds specifically.
The actual fig fruit itself appears on the disused dusty locked up doors and also in the nursery.
Other symbols without as obvious a pattern. A couple of framed painted animal hide portraits of previous Darktusk viziers. One of them has a brand. Torn arm uniform. Branded into the arm is a five-pointed star oriented such that the viewer has one point at the bottom, two above and two at the sides. (pentacle?)
A couple of painted hides in different places that have a recurring yellow eyeball symbol in their borders.
Oblique references to Termagant (not in a worship kind of way), but some of the scenes in the painted hides have orcish armies with war elephants and the elephants have termagant colours. Some of the artwork was painted with Termagant imagery in mind, the painters knew who termagant was and knew when it was appropriate to use termagant imagery in paintings.
Lots of Thievian and Soldierite imagery – Eight are venerated actively here. Metal is always gunmetal and black metal. Copper in Subviziera’s rooms and nursery.
Sheikh and Quince's Bedchambers
Quince leads us up and into her actual shared bedroom which has a bunch of copper stuff and metallic black. Sheikh is officially a Thievian. Arib is Soldierite. Jafar is Thievian. Most of the Guards are Soldierites – have gunmetal armour. Gast is not listed as a religion – is brought to Poorian and Thievian churches. Gast is multicultural and raised in the tradition of the Eight (Poor man and Thief).2nd largest bedroom in this estate. Has a massive four-poster bed that has an intimidating wrot iron cage, and is decorated with homely ribbons to make it less intimidating. Nicely decorated but underneath homespun decors is aggressive Darktusk unyielding architecture.
Sheikh has a study with a Thievian shrine.
Sheikh has Stolen Words. Cannot read the word even with Darkvision. Two shades of metallic black.
Cody: “Spooky book, bro.”
Schrittezurückverfolken Ritual
- +2 for Shrine
- +2 for participants
- +1 for having caster level
- +1 (Connie CL8)
- +1 Connie guidance
- Knowledge (arcana): Grimoire (+16) – pass.
- Knowledge (local): Lindie (+16) – fail.
- 2 Disguise checks: Hugo (+33), Rouge (+18) – pass (Hugo), fail (Rouge).
- 2 Survival checks: Connie (both) +16, +15 – both pass.
- 4 CHA damage (all except Connie)
Sheikh: “Altogether too many Thievians in this house for anyone to sneak in unnoticed. What are you and who sent you?”
Mephit: “I was sent here by a close relative of yours whom I’m sure you would want to meet.”
Scroll: Follow the mephit, bring no-one, tell no-one or we will spill your secret.
Sheikh: “Everyone has secrets here. Don’t see why I should believe you know any of mine. I’ve read enough stories of thieves to know what a trap looks like. Why would I walk into this one?”
Mephit: ???
Sheikh: “Take me to him.”
Daisy's Milk Bar!
Tito – “Chief mouser” capDaisy Buttercream lifts tray with a bunch of rats with bread and cheese. Rat and cheese toasties for Tito.
Tito: “This is probably the hardest job I have had to do in a long time. But I do appreciate that I am making a difference. Thank you.”
Back in the Minotaur Labyrinth
Guiding Star on Labyrinth EntranceLabyrinth has rearranged itself over the course of the day. The route is entirely trap free.
Older part of the Labyrinth.
Collection of individuals were waiting for Sheikh.
- Belle Buttercream
- Chime and Philly
- Large Ratlike Mongrelman slightly bigger than Belle herself that looks like some sort of hybrid of an ogre, a ratfolk and some kind of insect. Rat head and tail, one eye is normal rat eye and other eye is a bulging multifaceted insect eye. Single carapace horn on other side of its eye. Patches of carapace sticking out from matted fur. One arm is a nasty ogre with rat claws, other arm is a praying mantis style claw.
- Wrapped around the other arm are at least half a dozen other rats with tails attached to each other. Eyes darting, focusing on things only they can see.
- Slightly further back, guarding the rear to be snuck up on are a couple other Mongrelfolk that Chime has brought with him.
Belle: ???
Sheikh: “I figured by now it would be you. Hello. Where is he?”
Belle: ???
Sheikh: “You already know the message your mephit brought. I’m talking about our mutual brother. My father’s eldest bastard. The heir. Where is he?”
Chime: “We don’t know any better than you there. But we figured there probably was one. And since you’re here, that means you think so too.”
Rat Ogre goes to snag Sheikh and Philly goes to cast a spell when shadows suddenly engulf Sheikh.
Over a sound like roaring wind through connection to Sheikh, Hugo hears Chime say something in Mongreltongue that he doesn't understand.
Start to see others mobilising to move out of room.
Another superimposed image of a corridor, still in the labyrinth and Sheikh is right ahead running blindly, gets to a junction, angrily shrugs, closes his eyes, picks a direction at random and runs off.
Confrontation
Us, Cody’s gang, Arib and 4 Darktusk guardsSingle Dire Rat
Chime, Belle Buttercream, Rat Ogre Mongrelfolk, Rat King (on arm), Philly, Two other Mongrelfolk, Mephit
Philly creates Wall of Fire – purple fire
Grimoire summons an Ink Elemental from her book (can speak Terran)
Agamemenon: “Flametongue (Celestial) speak (Common)!”
Lindie kills Arib (and then stabs herself).
Ratlike Mongrelman not evil.
Ratlike Mongrelman: "This isn't your fight, rabbit!"
Detect Desires
Darktusk Stalkers CHA 6: Unknown.Ratswarm CHA 2: Unknown.
Chime CHA 9: Get as much of his team out alive as possible.
Klannis CHA 5: Two big ones. Play Along.
Doglike Mongrelfolk Rogue CHA 5: Unknown.
Ratking CHA 11: For the final few steps of this scheme to conclude smoothly so that it gets its payment.
Boulder Buttercream CHA 12: Unknown.
Belle Buttercream CHA 11: Unknown.
"Sheikh" CHA 11: Unknown.
Ratlike Mongrelman CHA 4: (Unconscious) Retrieve Chime.
Rouge Carterhold CHA 16: Get her sister safely out of here now that they've found Sheikh.
Detect Magic
13 magical auras – Strong is most powerful.Sheikh (Actually Philly)
- Faint aura – all of sheik as a whole: Transmutation (Polymorph)
- Faint aura on falchion: Divination
- Faint aura on armoured shirt: Don’t know school
- Moderate aura on Glove: Conjuration
- Strong aura on Signet ring: Illusion
- Yes has spells. No spell like abilities. Divine. Highest spell level is Level 4.
- Alignment: Lawful neutral.
- Faint aura on Signet ring: Don’t know school
Faint aura on Boulder’s new belt: Don’t know
Faint aura on Belle’s axe: Don’t know
Belle has scars from having been flogged at some point.
Rouge Carterhold
- Faint aura on whip: Don’t know
- Faint aura on hat: Conjuration
- Moderate aura on belt: Don’t know
- Moderate aura on coat: Don’t know
- Concealing something in his hands with a strong magical aura: Conjuration (Summoning)
- Little glass bottle with a glass stopper (Potion of Summon Monster). Horrible murky sea water. (Ghawwas)
Lindie talks to Belle
Belle: “You’re probably a little too young to know much of the old Vizier, Jafar. I understand he don’t get out much these days. In his time, Jafar Darktusk was – he was a bit of a nasty piece of work and he had a thing for collecting exotic specimins. Back in the day he was one of the primary patrons of a menagierie you’re familiar with. Time was Darktusk family was a little notorious for collecting these beastfolk for use as slaves and display pieces. Some of them, Jafar even had in the hareem. From what I understand from my mother’s stories, he always had a bit of a weakness for big girls. Anyway, like I said, he wasn’t… wasn’t the nicest individual and certainly that was a true for any of his partners as it was for his partners as it was for those who knew him."Most of the hareem were toying with running away but Darktusks also ran military.
Belle wasn’t the only, or even the first, secret lovechild of that particular Vizier, but of course his hareem being what it was, most of them were controversial so they never told anyone.
Belle: “We were kept squirreled away down in the bowels of the estate. Those of us who were old enough got put to work in the kitchens or skulery. I did notice at the time they were all girls, which makes me think maybe he was hiding the boys somewhere else. But I can’t be sure, maybe he just by coincidence had no other sons but the legitimate one.”
Picked a fight he couldn’t win. Got confined to chair. Lost hold over estate and his hareem. Can say a lot about bad things about his son as well, but, Sheikh had enough sense of decorum to get rid of hareem as soon as he could.
Once he had taken enough from Jafar to start calling the shots, he tracked down the remaining offspring.
Set up Daisy with milkbar on condition that Belle was kept in secret, hidden away in milk bar. Others got similarly convinced into hiding.
Were promised that Darktusks would leave family alone and not bother them again, as long as they kept secret for them.
Belle: “Now obviously it’s tricky to grow up looking like me and not realise some of how the system is oriented regarding them as gets called mongrels. I sure as hell never got tall enough to be a real minotaur and nobody was ever going to mistake me for an orc.”
Others like her in the city – not secret noble love children but just offspring of unconventional partnerships, whose “pedigree” was in question.
Belle made some friends and acquaintances among mongrelfolk. Found herself a likeminded community.
Belle: “Little while after that they started handing out these flyers in the slums and the remembrance gardens. Seems some older colony of mongrelfolk from way further down has got something of a plan to change things and they’re looking for new recruits.”
Belle: “As you can imagine, I ain’t got no love for the nobility as it currently stands so figured I would hear them out.”
Belle: “Just recently, little Philly mentions to me that they been suffering a lot of setbacks of late. Been trying to get what they need for a ritual they’re cooking up to allow them to stand against the nobles and, uh, every time they try and get together everything they need, something goes wrong and they end up in the spotlight of the Heel of the Amira. Most of them forced into hiding. I don’t know if you’ve, uh, been to any of the remembrance gardens or even just the slums where the mongrelfolk were gathering but a lot of them have been targeted. Folks driven out. Forced deeper into hiding. Seemed they may have been in need of something of a miracle to keep their plans from falling apart. But, uh, thing was the main element of this ritual that the couldn’t do without that they didn’t have already – there was something in the text about a second son born an heir. Obviously that’s a pretty specific ingredient. By definition you ain’t an heir if you ain’t a second son."
Belle: "I got to thinking about all them half-siblings of mine, how I never saw a single boy among them."
Belle: “After 3 decades of having to hide myself away to keep Sheik’s attention off my parents well, maybe I was just looking for an excuse to get something back at him.”
Where is Sheikh now? – Somewhere further down. Wherever the Patchwork Empire is hiding out while they try and get things together. Hopefully somewhere the Amira's Heel isn't going to find him.
Belle: “Philly’s a smart girl, one of the smartest I’ve ever met, but I don’t know that she can get herself and all of them out of there alive. I feel like it’s maybe on account of me that she felt so strongly about going up there.”
All they needed was their second born heir. Once they got Sheikh, could have tried to escape when they were still in the labyrinth. Probably easier to get away. But they figured if they got Philly occupying Sheik’s identity for a few hours, the opportunity to get into the Darktusk’s estate and do some damage was too good to pass up.
Belle didn’t argue.
Belle: "I’d like to see them wiped out as much as anyone frankly. But I’m starting to feel like if it, if it weren’t for me and if I hadn’t told them my whole story, seems probably Philly wouldn’t have been quite so keen to risk everything just to take out an already dying old man."
Mentioned Gast Darktusk to Belle.
Belle: “That’s a damn shame. Baby don’t deserve to be caught up in that. Can’t blame a child for who his father is. I guess that would be the most hypocritical I could be wouldn’t it?”
Belle: “Ah, salt and sand, I’m gonna have to rescue that fuckin’ baby!”
Belle: "When they took mamma and me out, they ferried us out a little forgotten backdoor down in one of the lower floors of the estate without having to bypass the checkpoints between here and the noble quarter. So if that door’s still there, I can use it to get back in the same way. And I think I still know how to get to their old prisoner cells because I used to clean them when I was a little tyke. So if they’re holding them there, we might be able to get to them and stop them releasing that big monster of theirs. If I’m too late, then I’m either going to have fight a giant monster or I’m going to have to find that baby and run away with it. I don’t fancy my chances with either of those. This ain’t much of a plan, but I guess its better than nothing."
Connie Talks to Tito
Prince of Orphans - Usually drawn as a Cat.Storyteller, Protector of little people, They look after all the orphans in the world.
Tito: "Time was I had… I used to have magic a long time ago. I don’t have that any more. But I used to have magic from that one. Sometimes when I was asleep or just super high, I was pretty sure I could hear the voice of Tybalt. And they’d tell me things and I’d tell the other orphans. Anyway, I stopped hearing them pretty much when I left the orphanage."
So Tito was a Tybalt Oracle?
Tito: “I only ever had two boyfriends at once. Unless you count all those great guys at the Pleasuredome. In which case I think I maxed out at twelve? I’m pretty sure it was twelve.”
Like a lot of Catfolk Orphans, Tybalt got taken under the wing of a sweet old lady called Granny Ginger.
Tito: "I think she has her place on Troubledown Lane.”
Little Ginger Annie – Annie is what Granny Ginger was called by people who weren’t significantly younger.
She was a great orphanage lady.
Tito: “When I was hearing the voices of Tybalt and had questions, she knew most of the answers. But I wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone about it. So pretend I didn’t say that.”
They called them Troubled Kids, might have been because they were from Troubledown Lane, or they were maybe super traumatised.
Tito: “They did say that when they spoke to people directly it was people that needed them specifically and that they specifically needed to look after others. And they did say that looking after orphans and children was their main deal. So it would make sense that once I’m not an orphan child surrounded by other orphan children, they’d need someone else. That makes sense to me, right?”
Granny still worshipped Prince of Orphans.
Suggested Tito look into the Beggar Man, who looks after homeless and down on their luck adults.
Whirling-In-Rags has a shrine way down in the labyrinth. She’s a really old god, this one doesn’t look like anything. Spinning mass of fabric tendrils.
Cody is making white Russians with his milkshake.
8 fully loaded triple decker – pizza place. Charged to Hugo’s stipend 20 gp (Already accounted for in World Anvil).
10 gp bet on Tito eating all of it.
Connie: "Hi Vulpix, It’s Connie. Can you please help infiltrate Darktusk estate? Mongrelfolk are planning to kill baby. Lower dock stairs, Ancient harbour. Best wishes, Connie."
Vulpix: "Hi Connie! Uh, yikes. Okay, yes. See you there. Uh, best wishes... Vulpix."Connie requests Vulpix's help using a Sending spell.
Mongrelfolk and Baby Rescue Mission
Meet up.Ancient Harbour was once a loading dock for carpets. No longer used because it has sunk down and has been replaced further up.
Orcish nobility prefer to cremate their dead themselves rather than using the official cremation services. The Darktusks in particular have what were originally watchtowers. The watchtowers are topped with beacons (cages of firewood that can be lit to make a signal). These beacons are used as cremation pyres. It has now been long enough given Orcs are naturally nocturnal, that they are about to start or actively in the process of doing the funeral ceremony just before setting light to Arib’s corpse. All of the family and staff that aren’t on duty to be on shift in the morning. Everyone who is on shift in the morning will be asleep.
Belle has to chose between being good at stealth or being good at fighting. (+14 stealth).
Stealthing through kennels will be difficult
2 watchtowers on each side of the estate. Every few floors can make it easier to cross.
10 floors in total
1 – kennels
5 – hatch on roof
8-10 – Cells
Kennels --> Barracks --> Cells
Non-guard sleeping quarters --> Chaplaincy: Thievian and Soldierite. Soldierite chaplin (for Arib). Thievian senior chaplin.
Can go through this entry and would have to enter the first floor of the kennels and then could cut across.
Belle doesn’t know entrance to the other tower, but would require some amount of searching (might encounter people).
Greenskins use wolfhounds.
Kennelmaster Dhali? Only has one name. Maybe because he’s a dog?
Dhali: “Shut up, Blackfur, the guards are just idling again.”
Dhali: “That does sound in character. If you could keep your antics to a minimum, there are people trying to sleep.”
Vulpix has learned 3 phrases in Orcish:
- Not now, I’m busy.
- This takes precedence.
- Wait outside.
The best way to ensure no-one questions me further: “The vizier insists.”