Ep 61: "Politics as Usual"

The night of Wearis 1, Primeheart was gathering kindling for his Harvest Close bonfire and missed a visit from Lark and Owen. They had come to tell him about Kali being reincarnated. They left when they didn’t find him.

Later that evening,  Kali, now a bronze dragonborn, approached the camp and found Primeheart tending his garden. Kali explained herself and Primeheart asked her a test question, which was forgotten as she stumbled over her words and her familiar mannerisms won him over. He told her she was beautiful, no matter how she looked, within reason. They spent the night together at Primeheart’s camp.

The following morning, on the 2nd of Wearis, Primeheart attended the Nature Temple. He saw Nyx there working, but did not recognize their form. Afterwards he went to get Kali, who was sleeping in after the rough previous day.

Nathan went to find Owen, and asked him about scar removal. Owen suggested sunflower oil as a first step to prep the skin. Owen also suggested that Nathan work on political relations, such as possibly talking to Anica. Owen had also noticed that the graffiti which displayed Seldanna’s image now read “LIAR.”

Mari had opened up her shop and worked in it for the morning. Rosie did a set at the Beer Forge and saw a cloaked woman approach and listen. She bobbed her head to the beat and gave Rosie a platinum as a tip after her set. She revealed herself as Haley and admitted that she missed everyone. They talked about the pains of rejection and then Haley left. Rosie then spent the rest of the morning with Daisy.

The party met up at the Beer Forge and noticed that the graffiti was spreading.It also now displayed Nathan with the word “TRAITOR” beneath. The party wondered what to do about this, but had no solid ideas. They watched as the cowboy, and their cloaked companion, entered and sat at their designated table.

Nathan apologized to Rosie for putting her on the spot the week before. More discussion was had and Primeheart pointed out that they could either approach the person(s) responsible for the “TRAITOR” displays or try to avoid it. Zreet and Bawkapella entered before they had come to a decision. Bawkapella began to set up on stage and Zreet threw a Bag of Holding to Nathan. It contained the newly enchanted Tomes of Transcription for the group.

Ackmon, the blue tiefling, and Garuhak “Chickenfingers”, the bearded goliath, entered and went to join the cowboy. Nathan and Mari approached the cowboy’s table and spoke pointedly to the tiefling about the graffiti. They wanted Haley’s name to make it stop. Rosie and Owen approached the table as well and insisted that not only was Ackmon’s group being petty and childish, but also that Haley acted in self-defense against a very visible threat. Ackmon’s group stood their ground and insisted that they just wanted the name. As Nathan and the rest walked away, Ackmon informed them that Duella had been his sister’s name. He also said that a member of Nathan’s family was in town. The party headed off to Graywall to a Council meeting being held.

The group passed by the guards, and went through the front doors of the Council Hall, to a large room with the capacity to house 200 people. As the meeting was still active, the party sat down and listened. Primeheart and Kali, disinterested in most of the politics, played with a Light spell focussed on the ceiling.

Suddenly, moving through the audience to the podium was a tall, dark, and elegant woman named Ellabonna Leigh. She was announced by Vasafra as being an owner of Brell Cartography. She was also Nathan’s aunt. She was there on behalf of Preston Brell, with the intention of selling the company to the city.

Nathan knew that he had signed a document, which gave him rights to a third of the company, and he left with Rosie to retrieve it. As the Council continued, they spoke about how, without a king, the cities must self-govern and that Cinderhaven must be a democratic flagship to set an example. The city must also create a standing army to defend against any would-be threats to the still-healing capital.

Nathan and Rosie arrived at the Brell Estate to find the cowboy’s group standing outside. They tried to intimidate Nathan and Rosie with subverted comments. Nathan maintained his composure and tried to walk past them, but Rosie threatened them, and they seemed happy about it.

Nathan went inside, up to the safe, and retrieved the document. The verbage said specifically that only two of the three owners must agree to sell, but if the third doesn’t agree, they had to be compensated appropriately. As he and Rosie made their way back out, guards were waiting and approached them. The cowboy’s group had told the guards about the previous threat from Rosie. The guards told Rosie and Nathan that they could let them go this time, but policy was going to change to make this a more severe crime. Accepting this halfheartedly, the two made their way back to the Graywall Council Center.

Back at the Graywall Council Center, they were talking about the sale of Reynard Manor for 250,000gp. The money would go to the hospital and the guard. Primeheart and Mari’s interests were piqued when Tybalt Lockridge brought up a possible city expansion into the Skyroot Forest. It would stretch for a few miles, which would move well past Primeheart’s camp and even past the Green Iron Village. The goliath seemed at a loss  and unsure what to do. It would both take his home away and destroy nature for the betterment of civilization, but it would also help the city with farmland. Mari was less indecisive, as she had endured this type of expansion before near Farbrook.

A farmer named Tarek Nibley approached the podium, and inquired about compensation for the previous expansion of the Dawn District into his farmland by the previous administration. Nathan and Rosie arrived then. Nathan approached the seats for those that wanted to speak at the podium, next to Ellabonna. She ignored him for the most part and insulted him when pressed, saying that his mother would be disappointed with him.

Nathan was called up to speak and he revealed his document. He said that he just wanted compensation and to be kept on with the company as an official artist. Ellabonna spoke up, and informed them that there was a clause in the contract that stated if two of the three find the third’s ethics to be questionable, they could release the third from the contract without pay. Tybalt announced that there could be an overseeing council for this dispute if needed.

Ellabonna began to leave and Nathan followed. She turned to him when outside and handed him an envelope, asking him to “accept his severance and stop this foolishness.” Nathan took it reluctantly. As she walked away, in her wake was Ackmon leaning against a wall, looking amused. He stated that this would only be the beginning of Nathan’s suffering and tomorrow there would be more.

Owen stepped up to the podium and introduced himself as Lieutenant Owen Avery of the 3rd Battalion of the Kirossian Army. He offered his services as an adviser for the guard and military. They took him into consideration.

As Nathan made his way back inside, the group realized that Rosie had disappeared. They gathered at the entrance to search. Ackmon noticed and teased them about their missing friend. This lead the group to almost get into a scuffle, before Primeheart and Mari picked up her trail in an alley. Owen left with Kali to go see Pinból to ask him to use Sending to message Rosie about her whereabouts. Primeheart lead the group from the alley, into the sewers, where two sets of tracks appeared, and out to the Beer Forge.

Owen and Kali found Pinból eating food completely nude. He nonchalantly greeted them and used Sending to message Rosie. She rebuffed his message as she desired to be alone. They stayed for a bit and had coffee, with Owen and Pinból putting their feelings aside in the wake of healthy friendship. Kali eventually left to find the rest of the group.

At the Beer Forge, Rosie and Daisy were standing on a tower of tables with a crowd of partygoers around them, cheering and applauding. Primeheart entered and began to drink and keep a distant, but watchful, eye on Rosie to make sure she didn’t do anything too foolish. Nathan and Mari never entered, as Nathan was getting sensory overload from the crowd. They noticed that the graffiti had begun to run and just become indistinct smears on the walls. Mari found Kali and sent her to the Beer Forge for Primeheart. Kali entered and shared drinks with Primeheart, dancing with him and enjoying herself. They all stayed until the bar closed.