S3E7 - We Do What Thieves Cant

General Summary

Continuing downtime.
The Duke gathers the party. He wants to publish the notes from Valtara after we scrub them of any mention of R04M and Zedd and the automatons.We can publish them through the university and hold a gala to get the attention of the higher ups.
As we talk it out, we discuss showing the mech suit as a tip of the iceburg. We can advertise world changing news, and then under present. Goal: Get a hold of Jace. Get the attention of the right people. Stay out of the attention of the wrong people (Dimir). We should publish it all in the Duke's name so that the rest of the party stays out of it.
King Zu'ah Ha can't get contact to Jace Beleren, but wants us to meet with an embassador from Mercadia at the Mercadian embassy.
Archmage Callum says that the book that he's bound to was from a time before the guild pact (10k years ago). That means that there has to be magic outside of the guild pact, and that it existed beforehand. The book and the automaton's can't function inside of the guild pact, so it is one, very powerful, and two, filters and limits magic.
Note: The Dimir don't know who we are. We're not linked to Essan and the plot to obtain the Guild Signets.

We head to the Mercadian Embassy. The secretary recognizes us and leads us down a hallway into the office of the embassador. It is a small, library style study. We meet Tiberius Marquess, an older male triton.
He laughs at us when Dream says that we wish to meet with Jace Beleren. She says that we need to meet with The Living Guild Pact, because what we found in Valtara threatens the sanctity of the Guild Pact. He says that he can try to contact someone in the Guild Pact, but that he doesn't hold that much power.
As we leave, Theo clocks a Boros angel waiting to speak to Tiberius. We don't recognize them.
The Duke takes Mizzix to the university to inspect & study the mech suit. As they try to power it up, it's not enough energy to turn it on.
Kraterellin and Theo skulk about the area around the hideout so that Teri can get to know his surroundings. Everything is really spaced out an we're relatively tucked in. Close by is a small market. To the South is access to the sewer system, maintained by the Golgari Swarm. They come across a male who is sifting through the sewer water, scavenging. There's plenty of seedy characters and Goglari workers. Teri plans escape routes and exit strategies. Has advantage on those checks now.
In his downtime, the Duke seeks out a handwriting expert to sign an NDA and verify that the research belonged to Vortica.
Haku is finally home. He wants to talk to Theo. He admits that he was at fault for her capture. He switched places with her normal contact, and made too much noise. He was able to get away but she was captured. He was brutally punished, and then ordered not to speak to her ever again, as they asssumed that she gave up their secrets and defected. She thanks him for the honesty, and asks him if he's done more training with the Dimir. He says nothing big, as they lost faith in him, so she says that the extent of their working together will be limited to him housing them, since he is less of an agent than she had hoped.
As the Duke is leaving the University, Doctor Edgar Allen Nutenberg AKA The Dean stops him. He tells him that he was succesful on his trip, after he criticizes how much money he's spent. He asks if the university can host an exhibition to show off the findings. He says that the research needs to be peer reviewed and vetted first. But he counters that this could be a teaser to gather the right people to review the findings. It could bring in money. He concedes and says that he'll try.
From then on, Theo stands as security and leads a security force that guards the lab.
Dream wants to catch up with Essan and Mizzix to see what updates they've made on the ALURE and tracing guild pact signets and it's magic signature. It's also picking up other items. It pinpoints the boots in the Selesnya Conclave. There's also a new reading, which we assumes is Jace. He's constantly moving around the city, even in the undercity. Dream does some covert ops to follow Jace around the District. He seems to be mocing frmo Guild Hall to Guild Hall. Azorius Senate, Boros Legion, and Selesnya Conclave mostly.
Once she sees that he's in the under city, she teams up with Teri to navigate the undercity. The general area that they can track him to is underneath the 6th (industrial) precinct. This part of the district seems to be a lively, public world that's very populated. It's a very seedy area. Now they have a knowledge of the area around wherever Jace is going.
Side note: Mizzix, The Duke, and The Dean are the only ones with access to the room with the mech suit. Theo hires a security detail to guard it, but tells them that she's hints and indirectly says that she's hiring them on behalf of the Freespars and the Orzov, and that their descretion is of the utmost importance. If they speak, she'll take their tongues.
We receive another sending from Da'Har saying that Tiberius, the Embassador, has set up a meeting with us and the Chancelor of Interguild Affairs at the Guild Pact tomorrow.
Getting our story straight: The Gala is just to show the mech suit and a few notes, enough to get funding to go through the research. But the actual reason is for us to meet some of the actual power players.
Dream pitches gifting Jace a ring with Magic Mouth on it that only Jace can hear.
Dimir put the back door in all of the signets so that they can attune to them. The Dimir are trying to collect them, and we assume the Rakdos are too.
Theo drops in on Tiberius, the Ambassador, to invite him to the Expo and ask about the Chancellor Ven. He's new to his position but quickly rising in rank. He is strong and firm. He's known to strong arm. The Guilds don't seem to like him much, as he's trying to create more authority in the Guild Pact. The Boros feel like he's creeping on their duties. He wants the Guild Pact to have more authority over legislation. Within the office of the Guild pact, he has support. "We'll see if anything changes now that Jace is back."
Keep in our back pocket that we can spread rumors to help us out.
When we meet with the Chancellor, say that we visited Valtara, a realm outside of the Guild Pact, and brought back someone who Jace should meet. We can tell him about the ring with the message. Then we should appeal to his desire to keep the Guilds in line and prevent them abusing their power.
Dream will bring the ALURE with us. Teri stays at the university, and Theo, Dream, and The Duke head to meet with Chancellor Ven. Lassandra Vera is his assisstant, who leads us in
We immediately recognize Nassius Ven as the Chancellor of Interguild Affairs. He's the one who originally sent them (the OG party) to find the crown. Their were allegations from Krenko, who sent them on the mission, that Nassius was Dimire. Sylas was assigned to an internal investigation into the allegations against Nassius. Essan was using his credentials to get into Azorius evidence locker where she stole back the Simic staff.
Dream would recognize Nassius from working with Sylas. Theo would know of him, but wouldn't recognize him.
Dream changes the plan and simply hands Nassius the invitation, saying that we came back from an expedition and wanted to formerly invite the Living Guild Pact to the Gala. Theo notices that something is off, and tries to say in thieves cant that this will help him with goals as well. He doesn't seem to understand, but his assisstant is taking notes. Dream adds on that there was an ecological emergency in Mercadia, but he doesn't seem interested. We get the sense that he has no idea that he will pass our invite along.
Lassandra walks us out a different hallway then we came. She speaks in thieves cant to Theo: Ven is not to be trusted, and if we need to meet Jace, there are other options. She gives us her card. On the business card, Theo notices some markings that are an encoded message: Undercity - the - wounded - road.
We head back to the university, cast the dome, and Dream tells us that Ven can't be trusted. Theo fills in the rest of the party about the message. Dream and Teri are familiar with the bar because of their wanderings around.
Next time: we head to The Wounded Road. The Duke continues to prep for the Gala. Theo wants to talk to her old Dimir boss to clear her name and make sure he knows that she never spilled their secrets.

Report Date

12 Aug 2024