S1 E21: But other than that, it was a lovely dinner
General Summary
- Suitable party attire was purchased from the seamstress at the Guild House, a nice old lady who seemed to have an uncanny ability to find exactly what was desired, in stock and on the rack. After the fact, a Detect Magic spell Picked up a conjuration enchantment on her various dress forms. Blizzard opted for his own military uniform, but everyone else opted for her party outfits and the +3 to social interaction rolls (for 60gp ea).
- The Bailiff captain Varla Carford and her +1, a serious-looking middle-aged human woman introduced as Annabeth Holua, met the party at the Upper Bailey guardhouse, manned by a number of guards to whom it all seemed very routine. A dispel magic device attached to the entry archway ensured they were who they appeared to be.
- At the front gate, their weapons were stowed in a locked storage case for safe keeping, but Keebler's throwing knives just looked like handles (and were quite small regardless) so they were allowed in. The Bailiff also retained her weapon, though it was peace-knotted.
- The Bailiff brought them up the main stairs to the festhall, and then led them on a tour where they met a number of other staff and guests:
- In the kitchen, the head chef, 3 servers, and the wine steward; the room is small and the pace is fast, and the Bailiff quickly ushers everyone through and into the Parlor.
- In the Parlor they see Galapple Dors and his Halfling wife, Helena. as well as Kador enjoying some finger foods. Kador they met before, and Galapple they had met, rescued, and spoken to at some length already at the Caves, but Helena was new to them; nervous at the honor, still reeling from getting her husband back and thankful to the adventurers for saving him, effusive in her praise, but clearly nervous being here. She had trouble stopping herself from running at the mouth and is over her own head and out of her element, but exhilarated.
- In the Study they meet Zaginax Cifari, the Castellan's magic user, a green magus elf looking more suited to an archery range than a conjuring circle or a dinner party. She's lounging on one of the couches with her companion, the bard Delyn Lemastre. Annabeth goes out the door on the left into the trophy room while the Bailiff continues her tour into the smoking room, where you meet the Castellan Jules Merula and his wife Elsinore Merula-Calumet and learn that the room is a likely place for men and women to congregate after dinner.
- The dark-paneled room has some dour-looking landscapes and a portrait of the castellan and his wife -but the woman in the painting is blonde and roughly his age, while Elsinore has black hair and is significantly younger than him. The Bailiff leads the group through a clearly known but well-camouflaged door that also leads into the Castle room: The Trophy Room , a dingy and weird collection worthy of its own entry.
- The Trophy room having no access to the main festhall, the Bailiff leads them back through the Trophy room's main door that Annabeth had used, returning briefly to the study and then cutting through the attached parlor to enter the main festhall, where all the guests had gathered. The Bailiff catches a glimpse of Amanara Foal and remarks that she's Godwin's mother - Godwin Foal being the dwarven acolyte defending Naphan's home who attacked the party, and was subsequently killed though Naphan escaped at that time. The Bailiff noted that as the court administrator she arranged the banquet and handled all the logistics - the invitations, the entertainment, the guest room assignments; but due to the obvious awkwardness of it all, she had been expected not to attend in person herself. Evidently she had decided it wouldn't be that awkward, but she also wasn't going out of her way to introduce herself. The Bailiff had mentioned earlier in the day that they'd be expected to stay and join the Castellan for breakfast as well.
- The dinner proceeded from appetizers and salad through the soup, with the party telling tales of adventure: Overcoming the Lizardfolk, which elicited a few laughs at Kador's expense, as well as the battle with the Gnolls and finally the fight against Naphan and the black bat knight. When describing the killing of the evil priest as the third and longest tale, Amanara looked over at them and whispered 'thank you, thank you' to them several times.'
- Throughout the dinner and telling of tales as well as during the entree that followed the stories, they could pick up on a few cues hinting at other connections between this group.
- Annabeth Holua, the Bailiff's date and presumably girlfriend, seemed unduly focused on Elsinore, meeting her eyes, smiling coyly and talking jovially with her when she had the chance. Captain Carford seemed to notice and showed some strain about it, but then the Bailiff was also clearly annoyed with Kador, and it would be hard to say for certain what she specifically was annoyed about. The Castellan seemed not to notice or not to care that Annabeth was basically hitting on his wife.
- That Varla and Kador weren't speaking tonight seemed a bit odd considering they had seemed fairly chummy when spotted at the Silver Spade a few days earlier.
- Elsinore seemed more or less oblivious to Annabeth's flirtation, but was paying all her attention to Blizzard and to Delyn; Blizzard was much easier to talk to as they were seated next to each other.
- The Serene Mistress came without a guest and seemed more aware of the purpose and spirit of the gathering than many of the other guests, talking with Galapple and his wife as well as members of the party; she seemed to talk in an especially kind way to Elsinore when they spoke, but they didn't speak much to each other. The only odd thing, perhaps, was the inclusion of a sort of side rant in her prayer to bless the food about personal freedom and the importance of making your own decisions, which seemed to make Amanara a little uncomfortable, but also elicited a frown from the Castellan; his own prayer to open the party was perfunctory and to the point, giving thanks to the gods for the adventurers and their sacrifices on behalf of the Keep.
- The dinner continued with entertainment and music as well as a game of riddles, before a palate cleanser and the desserts. However as the dessert trays were being cleared, and before the Jugglers were all off the platform for Mignardise to be served, the room - or at least, the part of the room with the party in it - was plunged into magical darkness. Along with the panicked screams and shouts of the guests in attendance, some unidentifiable clicking, scuttling or clattering noises were heard, and when the light returned - evidently as a result of a counterspell or perhaps daylight cast by Zaginax - the Castellan's head was missing and a juggler dagger - one of Keebler's juggler daggers, it would appear - was stuck into the stump as it fountained blood in pulses.
Report Date
28 Aug 2022
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