Ep 78: "Would You, Could You"

Wearis 25, 1199

Prologue

The party was set to meet Mo for coffee.

Pip researched the mountain city. The story-time sentient sword recently began mentioning current or future things or events. It keeps coming back to a new champion or hero that he has become the patron of.

Primeheart worked at Kali’s temple to continue preparing it for Amy’s arrival. He also made sure the garden at the tea garden was doing well. GB put up his days advertisements so he’d be free to get coffee with Mo.

Saxi went to speak with Ezra. She expressed that she was glad that he brought Oisin back and that the party was doing what it was doing to help people when no one else would. Ezra appreciated what the party was doing but he wanted to make sure we know that there would be consequences to constantly using magic to solve all their problems. She also apologized for not pushing Bridgette to go back to the temple to fulfill her promise. Lark went to the Rainard Estate and began a mural (close up, there are lots of different pictures but far away it will look like a fox).

Cyl had bought blue paint and was re-painting the wave pattern on her shoulder and arm that she’d had before. Dub showed up, stared at Cyl for a long time, and the led her out of the studio to a barbershop without speaking. He stood silently until Cyl chose a haircut style out of a large wall of pictures of different cuts. At his request, she chose a burgundy for his new hair dye. He introduced himself as “Octavius” and took Cyl back home. The only other words he said throughout was “I want you to meet my parents” and “I made sure we won’t be eating dinner.”

Tea Garden

The party arrived at the Tea Garden around ten. Mo beat them there. They received their tea and were left alone.

Mo wanted help deciding whether he should join with Moira to become a duodron, as his people expect (need?) him to. He was built to be part of the algorithm, rebooting the universe every million billion years or so. He worried about losing himself in the process. He wanted to stay here and spend his time with us and experiencing the city. Mo was with Moira before he came to Cinderhaven; he knows that Moira is mathematically compatible to him and that they are meant to be with her. Mo said Moira was the more dominant personality and it was unlikely that DDee would want to stay in the city. Mo decided to go to talk to Moira to see how that changed his decision making.
The party lunched.
They discussed whether they should make their own adventuring party, try to get ourselves adopted by the city as an official group of problem solvers, or go investigate joining the Birchfields. Kurt Brambleknut overheard he conversation and popped in. He said that Afra spoke very highly of the party.

Kurt told the party that there were regulations coming that would end up making adventuring outside of an approved adventuring party illegal. Arlund was working to try to get magic items to be allowed in the city. Kurt warned that there may be some new taxes coming that would take a percentage of any treasure found within a certain range of the city. The counsel was meeting early next week regarding land rights and adventuring regulations.

The party agreed to go talk to the Birchfields to get an understanding of what being part of them would be like.

Birchfield Boat

Chibs (aka Chib Chibs Chibby Chib Chibs) greeted the party. He said that the Birchfields were from Ashport.

Captain Maeryll is a built like Ripley in Alien, a little older, with an elegant sort of pirate captain garb. Maeryll said that the King had had three attempts on his life since the party was last there. The party told Maeryll that they were interested in learning about joining the Birchfield’s adventuring guild and she invited them to have tea in the mess.

The party expressed that Hasko’s description of adventuring with the Steel Syndicate did not jive with our pursuit of Good. Maeryll warned that there were times that working with the Birchfields tended more toward self-improvement, rather than purely good pursuits.

Captain Maeryll expressed that Hasko being candid, not just honest, was refreshing and something she found very valuable.

Maeryll said that she did not feel she could trust the party due to the attempts on the King’s life. Maybe once that situation was dealt with, they could revisit the issue.

Maeryll said that the king was awake and had mentioned Seldanna only once. The party asked to talk to the King. She said that the King had already paid them for protection. She took them to see the King.

The King asked if the party was operating with all the information necessary to make good decisions at this point. He challenged their prior actions, in a calm, relatively nice way. The King claimed that he was being held captive by the demon that was his vampirism. He disclaimed any of the acts done in Cinderhaven and the wounds of being blamed for them were clearly very raw. The Keysmith’s name is Donovan, according to the King.

The Party attempted to explain and defend their actions: Primeheart “I healed who I could and buried who I couldn’t.” Saxi told the King her story—being freed from being turned into a Nocturne. The party had no way of knowing that the information they were given that the King was in charge of his own actions and the way the city was run was wrong.
Donavan (Keysmith) left. The King believed that Imelda may be going insane now that he is no longer in control of her. Donovan was a black haired human who had unnaturally long life. The King said that when he first met Donovan (and the rest of VKTR), they’d promised to help him. Closing the gate should stop the Nocturne.

At first, the King was upset that the party had not come forward to convince the populace that he was being scapegoated, but he seemed to come around to their viewpoint that it likely would have just put the city’s peace at risk.

The King said that if the party wanted to make amends to him, they could find Seldanna. The party shared that Joviah was imprisoned in a gem and Seldanna’s ring was found in the ichor of the same monster. They also shared the Seldanna was possibly gone and safe but they weren’t sure. The King asked us to share with her this message: “I forgive you. I understand. I would very much like to speak with you.” The King will stay in the Birchfield’s protection for the time being.

Donovan had a strong ally in the Shadowfell.

The King seemed receptive to more social meetings with the party and asked for books to read. GB gave him the Book of Lore of Invention, a tract about the history of the origins of magic from the perspective of the School of Invention.

Kali’s Prime God Temple

After Lark left the ship with Pip (who went to look after muffins he’d left in the oven), Lark went to Kali’s temple. Lark said he left because he did not want to talk to the King. They discussed Bezel (and thinking he was not a good person) and what they’d both “accidentally” done against him. Kali took a holy scripture. Lark broke a clock and put it in a jar?

As they talked, footsteps interrupted them. A firbolg introduced himself as Pen, the inspector of the area for a delivery. Pen was incredulous that the temple was suitable for the Nocturne delivery—no bars, no glyphs to stop the Nocturne from being powered, no protection at all. Nonetheless, Pen led them down to the carriage where Amy was held. Pen put a half-bracer on as protection before Kali opened the carriage. Amy’s mask was absent. Kali helped Amy out of the carriage and invited her inside. Amy seemed unable to notice Pen (due to the bracer?). Amy immediately wanted to know where Earl was. Kali acknowledged that Earl was alive but refused to speak his location in the presence of Pen. Amy attempted to triangulate on Pen after realizing that there was someone she couldn’t see there. Lark, not understanding, pointed to where Pen stood. Amy missed but damaged a nearby building trying to kill him. Pen fled, as did his horses with his carriage.

Kali, Lark, and Amy entered Kali’s temple. They discussed that Earl was alive and told her that Earl was on a ship in the city. They explained Earl’s current situation to Amy (ship people nice, keeping him safe, healing him, not holding him captured). Amy told them that she wanted to protect Earl and was willing to get them out of the city. Lark and Kali told her where to find Earl.

Birchfield Boat

Amy showed up as the party was leaving. Captain Maeryll had been told of Amy by Earl and was ok with her showing up. Amy said that she could stop herself from following her programming to send Earl’s location and otherwise would not automatically share that information with anyone. Amy and Maeryll headed below deck as the party left the boat.

As they walked away, Primeheart and Cyl talked about Primeheart’s terrible thought that Dub might be Donovan.

Cyl’s Workshop

The party got to Cyl’s workshop, talking about their various art projects. About half an hour later, Mo showed up wearing a full-length black dress. Mo said he would join with Moira. He allowed them to come to the Tower for it, though they couldn’t watch the joining.

Mo’s (DDee’s?) Tower

Mo said his goodbyes and went upstairs. The party cooked and baked food to welcome DDee. GB also skywrote “Goodbye Mo. Welcome DDee.” After the ritual should have ended, GB went upstairs and found Mo crying. Mo said he was rejected, that the Algorithm saw that he did not want to really be there. He had been pruned.

Loose Threads

• Close the portal to the Shadowfell
• What are the "new" Goa up to? No one has heard from them in awhile
• Find out Juveah's true name
• Form our own guild or decide to join one of the existing ones
• Find Seldanna, ensure that she is safe, and give her the King’s message “I forgive you. I understand. I would very much like to speak with you.”
• Possibly look into Ash to find out more about the Champion

Episode

(youtube link coming soon!)

Broadcast Date

December 4th, 2018

Party

Saxi, GB, Cyl, Lark, Pip, Primeheart

NPCs

• Chibs
• Captain Maeryll Broadholme
• Ezra
• Mo the Modron
• Dub
• Juveha
• King Earl Goodsbury
• Kurt Brambleknut