19th Rhaan, 998 YK
- Tamara (Nerysdeth) does a "shit" version of the recap, since she wasn't there last session, but she got the gist
- Nerys was left in a queue in Daanvi and had to make their way back to Sharn
- They all receive a letter from Lhara instructing them to meet her in Vulyar, in Karrnath. Professor Faurious has found a local partner with a shared interest in the next artifact.
- They all complain that they're doing the same journey again? They just went to Vulyar!
- Nerys laments spending another three days on a train. Damien is like "hell yeah"
- Hopefully there's no terrorism this time
- They're a bit worried that they're going back to Karrnath so soon after pissing off the Order of the Emerald Claw
- Ruckus decides to try and make a cloak to help with stealth. He asks Yashira to assist him, and they go about acquiring the materials before they leave Sharn.
- Yashira goes to get Ruckus' measurements, and he has to tell her that he wants to make it for her!
- To help with her criminal activities. Because she's a criminal.
- They acquire some glamerweave, but they can't get it from Yashira's old workplace, so they have to go elsewhere and they get fleeced
- On the train, Yashira tailors the material into a cloak. Tailoring on a moving train is hard though, so it's a bit scuffed.
- Ruckus also struggles a bit with enchanting it, but does make a Glamerweave cloak with active camouflage. The issue is that it activates sometimes when it's not meant to, and vice versa.
- They arrive in Vulyar, and enter the Bairnholme Inn. They approach Lhara's table, and she introduces Vedim ir'Durna. He stands, and gives Ban a sturdy handshake.
- They all introduce themselves at once, in chaotic fashion, with Nerys saying they are the "Awesome Adventurers"
- Yashira isn't sure about going by the AA
- Vedim seems a little taken aback by the lack of decorum from three dragonmarked house members and a minor noble from the Mror Holds
- Lhara orders them all a round and Damien complains about the ale. "I'd rather drink my own piss!"
- Yashira tells him to keep his fucking voice down!
- Vedim explains why they're here. He's planning a heist to steal a Conqueror game piece called the Queen of Night from Fort Bones.
- Nerys asks if it's likely they'll encounter the Order of the Emerald Claw? Vedim says he doubts it, the EC are an extremist organisation. They're unlikely to be found at a Karrnathi fort.
- He asks if they're in? They are
- Ruckus says he just follows this lot around and gets them out of trouble
- They finish their food and drink (after one more round!), and then retire to Vedim's room to discuss the details.
- We're going to handle this by having them plan part of the heist, play through what actually happened, and then snap back to planning the next part (and if something goes wrong, they'll plan as if it didn't!)
- Vedim provides some background on the fort, and shows them a map that is 80 years out of date. He provides some intel on possible approaches to get into the fort.
- Yashira isn't loving the idea of crawling up a sewer grate, especially if the map is out of date. So, she'd rather try to infiltrate via joining the garrison or joining the bureaucrat's entourage.
- Charlie thinks they may want to split up and do multiple? The dragonmarked folks are going to stand out. Damien will have to put his dragonmark away, we all have to make sacrifices
- It's crazy that he still has his chest out in this weather
- Nerys feels more comfortable joining the bureaucrat than the garrison
- Ban isn't a big fan of splitting the group, so much can go wrong
- Nerys wants guard rotation details and all that, like in the books! Vedim says that in theory, that'll all go to hell if the Valenar attack
- Yashira breaks down the two options: if they join the garrison, they'll need to prove their salt. The entourage depends more on their social skills and ability to lie
- They could maybe try the garrison first, and go for the entourage if that fails? Vedim shoots that down, Captain Dorn would recognise them if they got kicked out and turned up again
- Ruckus prefers the idea of just sneaking in, he isn't confident in lying or joining the garrison
- It also depends on if he can take his exosuit, he's not the most physically capable. Ban says it's not all about size. It's about Willpower. and Frying Pan.
- Charlie says they aren't just going to be looking for soldiers, they may need cooks, smiths. Charlie could pretend to want to learn necromancy.
- Damien says that Charlie doesn't have the face for necromancy
- Vedim gives them a bonus objective, it would help his cause if they could pin the theft on the Valenar. He can't ensure that righteous, loyal Karrns take control in Odakyr if it is suspected that the fort fell to internal infighting. It would shame Captain Dorn if the heist was seen to be committed by foreign forces.
- Nerys asks for the group to huddle, and asks if they're comfortable stoking tensions between Karrnath and Valenar?
- Charlie doesn't think the elves would care, to be honest
- Damien agrees, they probably don't care
- Nerys tells a little story to explain their perspective. They tell a story about Dreadhold, a prison in the Lhazaar Principalities, where the worst of the worst are imprisoned. They have different wards for different prisoners, with the worst prisoners being deeper. The Stone Ward is where the worst are petrified. During the war though, some people willingly signed up to be petrified to wait out the war, and they haven't been unpetrified yet, because nobody is sure if the war is really over or if it's just taking a breather.
- Damien asks how they know so much about this prison?
- Their family has some ties to House Kundarak
- Charlie argues it's not the worst people that go there, if you pay enough money you can get anyone locked up. There's a lot of conspiracy theories going about.
- Damien asks if they've heard the one about the Brelish king being a manticore.
- Charlie says he has heard of that but it seems a bit farfetched.
- They decide not to try and pin it on the elves, they're not comfortable with that
- Back to how to get in. Yashira fancies her chances more with the bureaucrat
- Damien does too, "I shower regularly"
- Charlie tells him to stop making comments about the Karrns, or they're going to get their asses handed to them "and not in a good way"
- They do a little vote on how to approach getting in.
- Nobody wants to go in via the grate, but they might get out that way.
- They are split exactly 50/50, which means they may have to split the group
- Nerys asks Vedim about the properties of the manifest zone?
- Vedim gives a quick rundown of the history of Fort Bones and the impact of the zone when it was left unmanaged early during the war
- So, empowered necromancy
- Damien goes to make another comment about Karrns but catches himself
- Yashira lays out the plan. They'll split up, half the group going to join the garrison and half joining the bureaucrat. They try to meet up inside if possible, but don't break cover. Once the Valenar raid begins, they can take advantage of the chaos.
The Crimson Minister
- Damien, Nerys, and Yashira go to meet the entourage as it arrives in Vulyar.
- The Minister's coach arrives in town, and the group are approached by a half-orc who tells them to state their business.
- Nerys says "we would like a job please"
- Minister Sahira al-Thul guffaws at their boldness, and invites them into her coach.
- Reginald, the half-orc, opens the door for them and they climb in. Nerys makes a Mror gesture of respect to her.
- Sahira introduces herself, and asks if they already knew her?
- Nerys says no
- So they're just in the habit of asking for work from random convoys?
- Nerys produces their CV, they have very good references! A CV with their real name on it
- Most of them are from their mom
- Sahira asks what kind of job they're after?
- Nerys is so good at writing paperwork! Sahira does hate paperwork
- Sahira looks at the other two, "and them?"
- Damien introduces himself as Damien Doran, his dragonmark is not on display. He's a railway engineer, he works for House Orien. He can repair the carriage if it breaks down! He's a "total greasemonkey"
- Yashira is experiencing "acute despair" at her situation.
- She apologises for not introducing herself sooner, Yashira Vaelwyn. She's fallen on hard times, and she's an efficient mercenary! She could be a guard, these roads are dangerous
- She's playing up being nervous and unsure
- Sahira asks about pay expectations
- Nerys says "how about 3?"
- Three?
- Three what?
- Yashira asks how much Sahira is paying the current retinue? She wouldn't need as much as them
- Sahira gives a rough figure, average pay for an armed caravan guard. Yashira asks for slightly less than that, to prove herself. They could discuss it again if Sahira keeps her own
- They're all happy with this?
- They are
- Sahira then asks, as a show of trust, for each of them to provide a pinprick of their blood into her chalice, extracted via a sterile lancet. No side effects, no malice, no magic. Just a show of trust.
- Yashira starts to panic, worried about the implications, but agrees after sharing a glance with the other two
- If it has consequences, it has consequences. They'll live with em. They're not thrilled about it, but the mission demands it
- They prick their fingers, and we cut to the other group
Company of Skulls
- Ban, Charlie, and Ruckus arrive at the gate of Fort Bones. Ruckus left his exosuit behind, as it could identify him later.
- They hail the guards, and proclaim their desire to join the Company of Skulls.
- They are allowed into the courtyard, where they are met by Captain Alinda Dorn. She asks them bluntly, with barely disguised disdain, "go on then, what can you offer Fort Bones?"
- Charlie explains he's good at magic, and a quick study! He just really wants a job, he's hungry
- Speaking of hungry, Ban is an excellent cook! Not the greatest in combat (lmao), but with a great passion for food. His meals can even heal!
- Ruckus says he can tend to equipment, and make magic items. He's an artificer.
- Captain Dorn begrugdingly brings them on board, sending Ban to the kitchen, and Charlie to The Kind. She doesn't trust Ruckus with the armoury yet, she'll find later to get a demonstration of his artifice.
- She tells them if they step out of line, they'll be "added to the walls"
- Snapping back to the planning table, Vedim says they'll likely be tested, so have something ready to demonstrate their skills
- Ban first, has been let loose in the kitchen. It's a modest kitchen, ill equipped, and with inexperienced cooks. There's basically nothing in the spice cupboard.
- Thankfully, Ban brought his own spices. He can work with this.
- He quickly takes over the operation, and begins cooking dinner for the entire garrison. It's the best food most of these soldiers have ever had.
- There's a real risk that they hunt Ban down later to get him back in the kitchen, letting the heist slide
- Ruckus, in his little Karrnathi uniform, is evaluated by Captain Dorn. She provides a bunch of scrap, and tells him to make something.
- He makes a flare gun, impressive given the materials, and demonstrates it in the courtyard. The bureaucrat convoy see a flare go up from Fort Bones
- Yashira begins to panic, are the elves already attacking!?
- Charlie reports to The Kind in his office, where he's tweaking with several skulls on his desk. Charlie introduces himself and says that the Captain sent him to be evaluated?
- The Kind asks what for? Then asks what his name is. Charlie says his name is Nathaniel Kennar, most people call him Nathan
- Okay Nathan, what can you do?
- Charlie demonstrates he can do ice stuff. The Kind asks him if it's siberyan or externalist magic?
- Finally, Charlie has been waiting all campaign for someone to ask him that
- They have a detailed, academically fulfilling conversation about magic and how it works, and The Kind relates those principles to necromancy and how it works, giving Charlie some grounding in the art
- The Kind provides a rat skeleton, and asks Charlie to make it move, using what he's just learned. He's a quick study, and the Kind is an excellent teacher, and he manages to get it animated fairly quickly. He's a necromancer! He did it!
- The rat skeleton does a little tap dance
- The Kind admonishes him. Have some respect, that was once a living creature, who gave up its life so they could have such a tool.
- Charlie apologises profusely, and then the Kind gets him to help him maintain the garrison.
- Flashback to the planning room, where they discuss how evil necromancy is and how if they have to, they'll kill people
- Back in the Fort, The Kind and Charlie run into Captain Dorn, and get into a little tiff. The Kind doesn't like how much time the Captain is spending with the Queen of Night, saying it will kill her. She doesn't like this.
Flashback: Inside
- We flash back to them planning. What do they do once they get inside?
- How often does the Captain keep the Queen on her person? When she sleeps?
- Damien is sure she's reasonable enough. He slicks back his hair and says he can always turn on the charm
- Nobody liked that
- Ruckus says if he can get into the armoury, he can take stock of what they may be up against
- Ban also says he can listen to the soldiers conversations
- Nerys suggests keeping an eye out for where patrols go whilst inside. They'll be on stakeout duty once they arrive.
- They also write down everyone's cover identities, to maintain the details
- Damien could use his charms to try and make friends in the Fort, that they can leverage? Nerys slaps him on the ass and says "go get em tiger"
- Woah!
- Nerys suggests that Yashira should sneak around once they're in, and try to find keys. She'll do that.
- Yashira will also integrate herself with the bureaucrats retinue and glean what she can
Arriving at Fort Bones
- Yashira integrates herself with the retinue and gleans what she can
- She rolls badly though, and is alienated :(
- She has a lousy ride, sharing a horse with someone who doesn't like her, whilst the other two are living it up with Sahira in her coach
- They arrive at Fort Bones, and Sahira begins her inspection of the ranks of undead. They are not found wanting, and The Kind says her feedback is "most kind"
- Charlie laughs, good one sir!
- As the inspection is ongoing, the Valenar raid begins! All chaos breaks out as Captain Dorn begins barking orders to man the walls
- Sahira says she trusts the Captain will join her once this ugliness is dealt with?
- The Kind takes Sahira to the mess hall, talking about this new cook they've got. His meals are "to die for"
- Charlie laughs, good one sir!
- Captain Dorn singles out a private and sends him to prepare the guest room. She gives him a ring of keys and he goes running
- Yashira, Damien, and Nerys discuss what to do. The rest of the retinue seem to be going for the mess hall, they have an opportunity to break off. Damien suggests following that private and getting the keys
- Yashira will follow the private, whilst the other two go to the mess hall. Nerys says to be careful, don't risk your life for a key!
- There's a right Ruckus in the armoury as the off-duty soldiers rush to get their equipment. Ruckus asks what's going on, and someone explains that the elves are attacking! Ruckus hasn't had any training yet, so he probably shouldn't man the walls yet, would be a shame for him to die