07 - 7/27/21 : Closer to the Heart

In-game date: 4th of Freymond, 3521

“You haven’t tried me yet.”
Captain Draen Plavrag

As the morning sun rose over Revelmoore on the 4th, Reilly remained in bed dreaming of her past in the feywild. In her dream, she saw a memory of her younger self cataloguing plants and flowers on a feywild riverbed, until the glimmer of firelight caught her eye. Gathered around a campfire, a quartet of adventurers talked amongst themselves.
Reilly tried to observe the individuals gathered in silence, but one among their number caught sight of her. The individual, a young woman in a purple dress with a gun at her hip, greeted Reilly warmly and insisted that they meant her no harm.
Reluctantly, Reilly approached the four adventurers. The purple-dressed woman introduced herself as Edea, and her companions as Ozwik, Yukina, and Wyncaryn, and told Reilly that their group had ended up in the feywild by accidentally entering a portal. Reilly offered to guide the party out to their home plane, and while the group packed, Reilly caught a glimpse of an array of metal objects Edea had laid out on a strip of cloth.
Reilly inquired about the metallic items, and Edea demonstrated that they were pieces of an automaton that she was working on. Enraptured by the device, Reilly asked to fiddle with the pieces, and after she was able to make a few pieces work together on her own, Edea gifted Reilly with some spare parts to work with in her spare time.
Soon after, Reilly awoke from her dream, fondly recalling the event that led to her adopting artificing in the first place. She joined her friends downstairs, and they began to plan their day in the city. With a few errands to see to, the Red Spirits left Trollskull Manor and made their way to their first destination; the office of the Flaming Anvil in Revelmoore’s castle ward.
The party met with a visibly hungover Jalester Silvermane, and spoke to him privately about their encounter with the cult of Asmodeus. Jalester expressed concern that his hunch was correct, but thanked the party for their work and paid them for their efforts in keeping the city safe.
The party then went to the Tower of the High Dragon on the edge of the Castle Ward to meet with High Dragon Solauvaire and inform him of the cult’s presence as well. Since they were recognized as friends, the gate surrounding the tower allowed the party through. Within the tower, the party was greeted by the ghost of Xalys Marblewander, a former High Dragon of Revelmoore, who aided them by guiding a magical lift up to Solauvaire’s office.
As they approached the office, the party heard the sounds of an argument from behind the door to Solauvaire’s office. They were quickly able to identify the other party as Lady Reverie Ilvastarr II, the current Open Lord of Revelmoore; the two seemed to be arguing about Solauvaire founding an adventuring faction on his own initiative without consulting Lady Reverie first, and in return Solauvaire accused Reverie of acting out of jealousy for not inheriting the office of High Dragon herself.
Lady Reverie eventually excused herself, and stepped out of the office to come face-to-face with the party who successfully managed to avoid looking like eavesdroppers. Lady Reverie greeted them tersely and briefly before teleporting away, leaving the party to speak with Solauvaire themselves.
Solauvaire apologized to his friends and explained that he and Lady Reverie had never really gotten along. The party paid it no mind and informed Solauvaire about the events of the previous day. Alarmed that a cult acted so brazenly in the dock ward, Solauvaire promised to monitor the situation closely and to keep a closer eye on the Sea Maiden’s Faire; while the High Dragon doubted that the faire was knowingly obscuring the activities of a cult with their festivities, he still wanted to observe their goings-on as he was able.
The party then made their way to Renaer’s home of Brandath Manor by way of teleportation, courtesy of Solauvaire. The gates and front doors were locked to the party’s surprise, and they were able to make their way into the manor. Renaer greeted them warmly and invited them up for drinks while they discussed their business.
After Renaer expressed his fondness for the party, he moved on to his prior discussion with Reilly; in return for saving his life and being his friend, Renaer gave Reilly a promissory note for 900 gold pieces to go towards eliminating her debt. As the topic shifted to Masquerade business, Megumi showed off the new thief persona she had invented for her work with the Masquerade; the shadowy, masked thief Karma.
Renaer also inquired after Yilani’s life in Khemit, as he was curious about the differences between Reveler and Khemitite nobility. After Yilani expressed her reservations about discussing the difficult nature of her flight from her homeland, Renaer relented and politely showed the party to the front door.
Their last task before them, the party made their way to the Balladeer’s Eclipse in the Castle Ward to seek out Raeziel Ramrider and pay off Reilly’s loan. They were unable to locate her there, but Davil Cedarfall pointed them to her tenement in the Dock Ward.
Arriving at Raeziel’s place, Megumi first inspected the door out of curiosity and found it to be protected by multiple layers of advanced mechanisms to prevent intruders and thieves. Reilly knocked on the door, and Raeziel opened up after disabling a comical amount of mechanisms and traps. Within was a surprisingly bare apartment room, lacking in the finery and opulence that might have been expected by one so fixated on material wealth like Raeziel.
As Raeziel counted out Reilly’s loan repayment, Reilly noticed a particular mechanism built into a candlestick on Raeziel’s nightstand. Unable to abate her own curiosity, Reilly tugged on the candlestick and watched as it operated a mechanism and lifted Raeziel’s bed, revealing a trapdoor. Far from offended, Raeziel was impressed that the party discovered her secret passageway, and offered to show them around.
The party followed Raeziel down the trapdoor ladder and through a short cave trail before emerging in a far more luxurious room that offered a view of the waters below. Raeziel happily showed off her room, which featured a fish tank that housed a blue-ringed octopus, as well as an invisible one-way wall that allowed her to watch ships pass. As Reilly and Yilani looked out of the window, they spied a hooded figure on a distant islet approaching the shore, placing their hand upon the water’s surface for a moment, and then leaving just as suddenly as they came.
After Raeziel finalized the transaction, she declared Reilly’s debt cleared and hoped that Reilly didn’t view her as a monster; a hope that met with cold reception from Reilly. Their miscellaneous tasks concluded, the party returned to Trollskull Manor to await the eventual arrival of Captain Plavrag.
Reilly decided to take a walk first; in the alley she first visited the Book-Wyrm’s Treasure and purchased Puzzle’s Revelmoore Enchiridion, a guide to the city of Revelmoore penned by the illustrious Piece of the Puzzle. After acquiring her book, Reilly then visited Fala Lefaliir at Aelbwynn’s Crown. To her surprise, Fala was comparing various formal outfits; when asked for the occasion, Fala explained that they had been invited to a gala at their friend Remallia Haventree’s villa.
Reilly asked Fala if she could read in the store, as it reminded her of home in the Feywild. Fala responded enthusiastically by offering Reilly a spot to sit on a soft bag that they referred to as a ‘bean bag’. Reilly peacefully spent a few hours reading quietly in Fala’s company while Fala debated an outfit for the gala taking place the following night.
Meanwhile, a trio of knocks on the door announced the return of the illustrious Rat Catchers. To Yilani’s surprise, they had finally managed to return with a few freshly caught rats with no complications. Yilani paid them each a gold piece for a job well done, and then unhinged her jaw to unnatural lengths to swallow a rat whole. The rest of the party (sans the absent Reilly) expressed little concern at this, citing stranger sights in their past.
Finally, the captain arrived at Trollskull Manor, much to Brooke’s delight. Draen Plavrag made himself at home, happily taking a beer from Lif and allowing Violet to sit on his lap. He asked the party about their origins and their trades predating their adventuring careers, wanting to get to know those he would do business with in the future.
The party shared some of their stories with Captain Plavrag - some of them (Brooke) more readily than others - and Megumi offered to give him a look around the Nine Tail Magi Shop. After placing the shop’s door on the Manor’s wall, the party stepped in and allowed Draen to take a look around. Draen, enamored by the place, made a purchase; one pair of Bracers of Flying Daggers. Brooke, in the meantime, purchased a Cloak of Billowing.
Returning to the Manor after their brief shopping trip, Draen and Brooke’s mutual flirting reached a critical mass as Brooke invited Draen out to the Balladeer’s Eclipse for drinks. Draen agreed, offering a tour of his flagship The House first; including an exclusive ‘visit’ to his captain’s quarters.
While Brooke and Draen had their night out on the town, Megumi found a small letter while balancing her finances. Opening the letter, she found it to contain an invitation to the same gala Fala had mentioned to Reilly.

Portraits

The Red Spirits

Reilly Springs - A young, anxious satyr artificer and inventor, who attempts to sell her inventions to interested buyers. She has accepted membership in the Masquerade, and has fashioned for herself a magic suit of armor that grants her impressive combat capabilities. With Renaer Ambermantle’s help, she has finally repaid her debt to Raeziel Ramrider. She has taken to spending time with Fala Lefaliir, the serene gardener and proprietor of Aelbwynn’s Crown.

Young Reilly

Brooke Acropora - A charming water genasi and a skilled performer who is ‘technically’ from Revelmoore, who entered the Balladeer’s Eclipse on the fateful day of the troll attack to investigate the Black Network. Brooke moonlights as a contributor to The Targe, a broadsheets publication that seeks out the most interesting and sauciest news scoops of the day. Brooke has established a casual, flirtatious rapport with Captain Draen Pravlag.

Megumi - A diminutive kitsune rogue and a traveling merchant, who seems to be looking for something or someone during her quest for wealth in the City of Splendors. Kind-hearted but quite avaricious, she uses her small size to her advantage as she sizes up individuals for valuables and wealth. She has revealed to the party that she must ritualistically offer 500,000 gold coins to Asmodeus by the end of the year, or her soul will be forfeit. She has invented a new persona for herself; the mysterious masked thief, Karma.

Karma

Yilani Deniz - A severe, perceptive human druid from the deserts of Khemit that possesses the power to transform into a powerful serpentine form. She has traveled to Revelmoore seeking a new life after being displaced by the war in Khemit. She has expressed great eagerness in bringing out the full potential of Trollskull Manor. She has finally fulfilled her goal of joining the Doom Raiders subfaction of the Black Network, and has also finally acquired rats to eat with the help of the Rat Catchers.

Lackadaisical - More commonly known as “Lacky”, this charming young tiefling woman is the daughter of the famed ex-adventurer Fomalhaut the Financier. She moonlights as a lawyer and represents members of less-than-legal enterprises in Revelmoore, including members of the Black Network. She was recently made the fifth co-owner of Trollskull Manor thanks to her father’s investments. Along with Yilani, Lacky has joined the Black Network, and has also aligned with Solauvaire’s unnamed adventuring fellowship.

---

Violet - A strange purple cat that was purchased by Brooke at the Old Xoblob Shop. For all intents and purposes, she seems to be a completely normal cat; save for the fact that her fur is a deep shade of violet. She accidentally revealed to Brooke that she is capable of speaking telepathically, and has promised to explain the fact to him later on.

Renaer Ambermantle - The estranged son of Dagult Ambermantle, the previous Open Lord of Revelmoore. A skilled fighter and a man of noble standing, Renaer has expressed his fondness of the party and his desire to continue his association with them. In exchange for their fine company and saving his life, Renaer happily financed the greater half of Reilly’s debt to Raeziel Ramrider.

---

Edea Lockehart - A skilled half-elven artificer, consummate country gal, and a member of the adventuring party known as the Fairhill Four. Having ended up stranded in the Feywild with her companions, she was guided to safety by a younger Reilly Springs. Edea was the first to introduce Reilly to her eventual chosen profession of artificing.

Ozwik Irontusk - A level-headed half-orc sorcerer and a member of the Fairhill Four. He advised caution among his companions in the face of the unpredictable Feywild, and strove to be the voice of reason among them.

Yukina - A perfectly normal human barbarian, who certainly does not possess draconic horns or a tail whatsoever. A member of the Fairhill Four. She seemed enamored by the beautiful vistas of the Feywild, despite Ozwik’s advice to be cautious.

Wyncaryn - An elven monk and a member of the Fairhill Four. Laid-back and difficult to disturb, Wyn took to the Feywild well with her go-with-the-flow attitude, and noted to Ozwik that the party had seen worse than the Feywild in their past adventures.

Jalester Silvermane - An agent of the Flaming Anvil, a mobile task force that operates on the behalf of the governments of the Buntesveldt. Jalester offered the party in tracking down the cause behind a rash of kidnappings in Revelmoore’s dock ward. For their success in exposing a cult of Asmodeus for the acts, he paid them for a job well done.

Solauvaire Oussndar - The current archmage of Revelmoore, having assumed the position after his predecessor’s death four years ago. He has founded the Revelmoore Rangers, an adventuring fellowship including Brooke and Lacky, much to the dissatisfaction of Open Lord Reverie. He has resolved to keep a close eye on the Dock Ward and the activities of the Sea Maiden’s Faire.

Reverie Ilvastarr II - The current Open Lord of Revelmoore. An ex-adventurer, this tiefling noblewoman hails from one of Revelmoore’s founding noble houses, but has little patience for politics. She and Solauvaire share a difficult working relationship, and she admonished him for establishing the Revelmoore Rangers without consulting her first. She expressed fear that the neighboring city-states might see the new faction as a sign of Revelmoore seeking its independence from the union of local city-states known as the Veldtrada.

Xalys Marblewander - The ghost of a former High Dragon of Revelmoore. As short in patience as she is in height, this gnomish woman reluctantly operated the Tower of the High Dragon’s magical lift for the party during their visit.

Arathir Starsong - The owner and proprietor of the famous Balladeer’s Eclipse inn and tavern. A retired adventurer, Arathir delights in serving his customers and ensuring their happiness. He was revealed to be a member of the Masquerade, though Renaer stated that he was ‘mostly retired’.

Mattrim “Threestrings” Merreg - A peculiar halfling minstrel that performs on a “unique” (damaged) lute that only possesses three strings. He seems oblivious to the dissonant tones of his beloved instrument, and believes that making music in spite of such setbacks is a great triumph of art. He was revealed to be a member of the Masquerade, and spends a great deal of time at the Balladeer’s Eclipse.

Davil Cedarfall - A retired sun elven adventurer and the leader of the ‘Doom Raiders’, a beleaguered sub-faction of the Black Network. He was encountered at the Balladeer’s Eclipse as the party searched for Raeziel, and he pointed them towards her residence in the Dock Ward.

Yagra Stonefist - A powerfully built half-orc bruiser and a member of the Doom Raiders. She remembered the party from their fight with the troll. She acts as Davil Cedarfall’s bodyguard and challenges passers-by to arm wrestling competitions in her free time.

Raeziel Ramrider - A duergar rogue and loan shark, who works as the Doom Raiders’ Master of Coin. She loaned Reilly a sum of gold at an exorbitant interest rate, but the debt has finally been paid off. She handles her affairs at her well-guarded but humble apartment in a Dock Ward tenement, which hides a passageway to a lavish secret hideaway.

Rishaal the Page-Turner - An aging golden dragonborn librarian and astrologian who owns the Book Wyrm’s Treasure, a book and scroll shop. Rishaal was once a professor of astrology at the esteemed Brighthollow Academy in Darnagal before leaving following a disagreement with the headmistress. He sold Reilly a copy of Puzzle’s Revelmoore Enchiridion, penned by Piece of the Puzzle.

Fala Lefaliir - A serene wood elven individual and the owner of Aelbwyn’s Crown, a multifaceted store that functioned as a florist, apothecary, and greenhouse. They were occupied with choosing appropriate formal wear for an upcoming gala. They seem to enjoy spending increasing amounts of time with Reilly, who visits often to bask in the store’s natural atmosphere.

Captain Draen Plavrag - A human pirate captain from the pirate isle of Providence Bay, originally hailing from the Buntesveldt city of Bliski. Captain Plavrag was contracted by Fortune’s Crossing to act as the captain of the ships that comprised the Sea Maiden’s Faire following the sudden inability of their original captain. Plavrag enjoys his work, but finds himself bored with the ships docked, and has befriended the party in his quest to seek new sights; he has shown a particular fondness for Brooke, whom he flirts with brazenly.

Lif - A poltergeist and the former proprietor of Trollskull Manor. He was murdered forty years ago by the manor’s former owner out of jealousy for a girl he once loved. His spirit has remained in the manor, where he scared off intruders. After the party assured him that they wished to restore and reopen the tavern, Lif calmed himself and even aided in cleaning the place up. He takes delight in helping the party spook off unsavory elements such as Emmek Frewn.

Nat - A mute human girl and the ‘fighter’ of the Rat Catchers, an ‘adventuring party’ made up of three homeless urchins. Nat cannot speak, and communicates through an invented sign language made up of broken Thieves’ Cant symbols and gestures. Her party caused further chaos for the unsavory Emmek Frewn by loosing an army of rats in his establishment.

Jenks - A human boy and the ‘wizard’ of the Rat Catchers. Jenks carries around a stuffed owlbear ‘familiar’ and keeps a bag of ‘spell components’ on his person, and is fiercely protective of his ‘spellbook’. Using his ‘magic’, he covered their captured live rats in grease before releasing them in Emmek Frewn’s taphouse.

Squiddly - A tiefling boy and the ‘rogue’ of the Rat Catchers, as well as their fearless leader. Squiddly bravely leads his companions out of trouble as often as he leads them into it. Squiddly wears a fake eyepatch, which doesn’t help his aim with his bow. He briefly encountered Captain Draen Pravlag in the Dock Ward and received a platinum coin from the mysterious pirate.