DFE 2 Notes (Zane)

DFE#2:      BACK TO STORMREACH

'''SCENE 2.1 – The Bloody Ruins'''

As the party is passing through A trimmed-out tunnel through the 3xC Jungle (which was not there a few days before), Jaicinder notices some of the flowers turning towards the party. The order to back up was given, but nobody made the RET check to do so. In a puff of light pink particulate matter…. Nothing seems to happen. The particles dissipate quickly, and the party moves further towards the ruins, holding their breath for a shorter amount of time. Everyone who was affected by the particulate begins to feel exhilarated.

Wakinyan and Jaicinteleq dither for some time. The party moves into the ruins, aside from Loic, who is the rear-guard just inside the first crumbled wall. Two of the party notice that the jungle has fallen silent – even the insects are quiet. The silence extends farther and further from the ruins as time passes. Deucalion uses Detect Animal EMP to confirm that the animals are indeed moving away, not simply falling silent.

Wakinyan ties his 800-ft. Rope around Merkha and Matilda. Wakinyan begins to go down, and Deucalion establishes a TLP link between him and Wakinyan so that they can communicate/know when to pull him up. As Wakinyan goes down, there are stones along the edge of the well. Some are missing at around 30ft., and at 40ft. There are no longer any rocks along the edge. It becomes raw earth past that, with layers that are differently colored and thin. Jacinteleq spots a small portion of recently dried blood along the edge of the well, as well as on top of some part of a vine, notably towards the left part of the well. Loic and Jacinteleq look at the blood. Jacinteleq goes up onto the well platform on the right side of a huge dead vine and sees nothing more. Loic notices that whoever came and left the ruins wiped their tracks in and out in the lane they cut through the jungle to the Combine road. The plants there had no sense of having been “commanded” to move; the path was simply cut. The tracks that can be seen look like human boots. There are some forms of fruit on the branches above the ruins, but no predators.

Continuing his way down, Wakinyan sees something sticking out from the wall of the well, that doesn’t appear to be a root or anything of the like. It’s a shard of pottery. Wakinyan takes the pottery shard out of the wall, and a chunk of wall does as well, forming a gap, inside of which is the rest of the pottery piece with a lid sealed with wax. It is about half-full of something dry inside. The group pulls him up, and Wakinyan gives the jar to Merkha, who recognizes Greek inscribed on the outside of the jar. Merkha gets an exact measurement of how far down the jar was located.

Wakinyan goes back down into the well, about 20 meters past where he was previously, but could not see anything in particular. The soil changes again to a reddish color and goes down for some ways. About 200 meters down, Wakinyan gets to the bottom. At the bottom is an opening with a pile of bones - or rather, a pile of bones as well as a fresh body. At that point, Wakinyan feels something wet on the back of his neck, but doesn’t see anything, and another that lands on his head - its blood. Wakinyan does not see his Unseen Servant. He approaches the body, and turns it over - its face has been ripped or otherwise removed, and the flesh underneath has been selectively burned in some places, after the skin was removed. It is a male around 23-24 years old, wearing a dirty white-gray, loose top, with similar homespun pants and crude shoddy boots. His hands are worn and calloused, and he is caucasian. The front of his cloak is soaked in blood. Wakinyan looks around with his torch, the floor is rock.

The giant tree immediately adjacent to the will platform up in the ruins  that Jacinteleq tries to talk to resists her attempt.

There is a layer of several other skeletons, going down about ten feet - starting with some with scraps of flesh, descending to nearly powdered bones. Wakinyan detects magic, and becomes aware of a high-pitched screaming that is his unseen servant off to the left of the pile. Wakinyan had been looking for his UNSEEN Servant. It’s whimpering, and clutches onto Wakinyan. Off to the other side of the pit, Wakinyan hears a growling, at which point the party pulls him up.

As the party begins to leave, everyone who inhaled the particulate is beginning to see ghostly-shaped figures, and a repetitive number of scenes of people in various garb who slaughter people and throw them into the well. Figures with similar clothing will persist for awhile and then gradually change to some other style of dress. There used to be an altar on the far side of the well, next to the giant tree, at which various mutilations were performed to the bodies. The figures are speaking, and groups are composed people of colors that vary over time - a wide range of individuals. At one point someone sees a group of fairly short dark-skinned individuals with hats and jungle gear on on performing a ritual. A group of riders riding something two-legged come crashing from the woods to the left of the altar, and attack the people doing the ritual. The mounted figures were dressed all in white, wearing some form of metal armor, and throw the people at the altar into the well instead. The party then leaves the ruins and goes back to Stormreach with haste. As the party leaves the area, the party hears a great swoosh and a cloud of dust comes up from the well, and part of the well crumbles into the hole, as well as a rumbling. As the party leaves and gets ready to go, three of the party get a glimpse of something moving in the trees - the only thing moving in the trees. Jaicinder gets a peek at a face that looks almost furry, and was holding a sword.

(Rena is that you? -Durus somewhere)

SCENE 2.1B – ER Stormreach from Ruins

12Dec start 0600 at the base of the Plunge, arrive at Stormreach 1500 12Dec

During the trip, Gwen inspects the people who came who had ingested the particulate - there seem to be no side-effects or otherwise lasting effects. Gwen looks at the sample, and identifies it as some kind of psycho-active drug - not seen before. “Plant B1” for “Biology 1.” Nobody has seen the plant before. Loics company is on duty at the top of the Plunge and greets the party. Caravan crew brings the caravan up the Plunge while the PC push on to Stormreacn.

The road is as non-busy as usual with minimal traffic. As the party descends through Halfaya pass, there are roads leading off to left and right, some unpaved and some paved. At the third one, four men holding horses are talking to four soldiers of Loic’s company.

The men iun white are not a Combine unit, and usually cavalry aren’t sent, but it is a uniformed group. Their horses have lances, and the men are armed with swords. They are apparently guarding the road, and Loic notes that “Myrell has repaired his road.”

SCENE 2.2 – Rescuing Dana

Party arrives at Stormreach. The caravan is parked at the Institute later, but the party minus Loic, Merkha, and Ademar head off towards Lorsmarch Palace.

The group meets with Jaycinthe, in the private audience chamber around a round table. Leonus begins by explaining Dana’s letter about the marriage to the Riedran ambassador. It is discussed as to Jonah’s possible plans to ally with the Riedrans presenting perhaps a conflict of interest with the family’s position in Stormreach. Jacinteleq presents concerns regarding this. Jaycinthe says that the Combine has control of Stormreach, but not an arbitrary amount - many laws such as the Family Law and some of the remnants of the Coin Lords still apply. There are no “good legal options” for attempting to prevent the marriage, but Jaycinthe recommends that Jacinteleq go review, “…beginning and end…”, Stormreach Law. Under Lex Familias, a wife enters the family law of the Husband on marriage, and is no longer under the law her paterfamilias.

Wakinyan’s speaks to Jaycinthe. He asks about “Arrival” - arrivees. She says she knows no more than what most people do. He also asks if she knows that in the previous specified amount of time, Arrival had stopped. Jaycinthe confirms that all Arrivees seem to be surprised. Most are individuals, but there have been very rare reports of up to a hundred. Jaycinthe is told about the Sayaret Matkal unit Arriving as such[o1] .

Deucalion’s and Jaycinthe them speak of the arrangements for the auction of the Riedran machine. Time of the auction is up to Deucalion, but it was arranged for the day after they arrived. She suggests the best place to hold the auction would be somewhere within the bounds of Kundarak Enclave. The terms are simple - vetted people are invited, six people in total. Jan Yonkers Ziska is a merchant collector who was a recent addition.

Jacinteleq, Jaicinder and Leonus go to lower floors of the Lorsmarch to read the law books, while, “Go to examine the law, beginning and ending, and see if it contains anything that might be of use.”

When examining the law, Leonus reads the very beginning and the very end. The opening reads “within the walls of Stormreach shall this be law:..... :and all this comprises the law within the walls and no other.” Stormreach recognizes all marriages brought into the city as long as they are official.

Meanwhile, Deucalion goes to find real estate agents based on suggestions from Saruth. Saruth[o2]  writes something to Deucalion and hands it to him, and suggests an Address each in Southwarch/Summerfield and Respite/Stormhaven.

Jacinteleq, Leonus, and Wakinyan arrange to go out to where the betrothal of Dana Wilks will occur, spirit her away, then shotgun marriage her to Leonus so that she can’t be married to the Riedran ambassador. Leonus goes looking for Deucalion, finds him, then they arrange to meet at the inn where the vikings are staying in the harbor district. At about 1800 Jacinteleq receives word that the Wilks’ have left the city, earlier that afternoon, and took the Halfaya Pass road. Various ruminations about the legality of certain things and the following ‘rescue mission’ ensues, while Deucalion negotiates real estate prices for a building in Stormhaven.

-- Break for Lunch--

Jacinteleq receives some advice while she goes to see Ardeth - at any time up to the point of actual marriage, under Wilks family law, people may make objections - consanguinity, corruption, and you can’t object to something of which you are the cause. More shotgun-marriage planning. The party convinces the Vikings to join them, leaving Stormreach to song and the sound of Deucalion’s aulos. The party leaves by the city gate Dana Wilks’ betrothal party used, and Wakinyan picks up the trail and the party begins to move. When the party reaches the side road to Myrell’s, this time there is an old-looking, locked iron gate guarded by eight men. The tracking happens to go down Myrell’s path. Loic inquires, and the guards refust to say much, but one points out Myrell, who the party approaches. He refers the party to the guest list - but one of the cavalry guards says roughly that everyone who’s supposedly supposed to be in attendance is already there.

The party leaves, then departs to cut through the wilderness into the mountains at the location of the party. The party arrives at back on the trail at 0200 Dec13. Cheton is sent into the air, and there is a well-lit area about a kilometer up the road, that has two lines of people facing one another on a lawn that has six statues. There are eight people in one line, and five in the other facing each other a couple of paces apart.

As the party ventures through the woods, Myrell pops up and asks what we’re doing in his woods. Loic sort of waves Jacinteleq through Myrell’s questioning after saying she’s a Wilks. Myrell then escorts the party to the betrothal

It’s about 0330 when the party gets close to the group. The six statues seem to surround a raised, stone platoform in the middle with a huge golden, decorated plate in the middle. The two lines of people have now reformed, with one individual on one side of the altar, three others on the opposite – Jonah Wilks Sr and Jr and Dana Wilks. There is a large ornate throne on a third side of the stone platform. The six statutes are arranged in a hexagonal pattern. There is a large stone behind the Riedran ambassador where he stands by the stone platform the Wilks’ standing on opposite side of the platform. There are six torches around the encirclement.

As the party arrives, there are a few men in white uniforms with gold trim facing outward who surround the encirclement. There is some chanting from the group on one side of the altar, and it's going relatively quickly, but nobody is moving. The contract is sitting on a table in front of the throne. Jacinteleq approaches the group and presents her rights and case - she is stopped by a guard with a crossbow. Ambassador Katanavash snaps something to the guard, and the guard tries to repel them.

The party advances in general. One of the guards goes on one knee, and Katanavash is shouting in Riedran. Wilks runs over and tugs on Katanavash’s sleeve. The guard finally says “pass,” and the party enters the circle, this time at a walking pace. Wakinyan stealthily flanks on Matilda on one side using his Plains stealth ability, Ademar and Merkha swinging to the other side. Deucalion establishes TLP with Wakinyan. Wilks glares at Jacinteleq, and demands to know what she’s objecting to. She explains her objection under Combine Law. Dana is looking back and forth between her father and brother, and finally speaks - she says “my father wants me to marry Katanavash,” and that’s all she repeats- Jacinteleq recognizes her as being drugged.

The guards behind Wilks move forward, and are recognizably street thugs. Deucalion uses his Miracle to yPortryss to give Dana more vitality, which helps deplete and fight off the drugs. Wilks jumps up and Katanavash, objecting to the occurences. Katanavash takes out a pen, and begins to sign the contract. Wakinyan attempts to use a Minor Miracle to blow the papers away. He rolls a one, and a large gust of wind blows them away. A viking and a guard rush towards them, and tangle, fighting over them. The guard shouts in triumph, and stands up with the paper, Leonus plays a plot twist, the Guard trips on a rock and drops the paper. The viking tackles him again. Ademar charges through the party, whisking Dana Wilks away. Dana screams “Leonus, Leonus, take me to Leonus!” after '''Jay plays his Lust plot twist card'''. Lord Katanavash says something, and there is a welter of psionic activity and the viking fighting over the papers is sent flying. Wakinyan uses Web-3 on the group of people nearest to the throne. Deucalion uses Distract - Skills to hurt the opponents abilities to establish Psionics, which affects the opponents within his auditory range.

START THE MELEE:

Wakinyan charges the Riedran guard closest to him, and shoots off a magic missile at a guard on the opposite side. Matilda tries to run over the guard, and tramples him onto the ground. Jacinteleq and Jaicinder begin to run towards where they came from in the woods. Merkha picks the fallen viking up on his way to follow. Deucalion feels another welter of psionics behind him. Leonus tries to swing up on Ademar’s back, and succeeds. He then attempts to form up a psionic shield around the three of them. The eyes of the gargoyles around the encirclement begin to glow red. There is a flash of light and three of the Riedran guards, as well as Katanavash, disappear. One Riedran guard is left, armed with a sword and buckler. He slashes at Loic, who is hit for two points of damage, then four, then after a few a total of 22 before armor, which goes to six damage. Loic claps back for no damage.

Leonus explains the situation to Dana, who is still sort of foggy, as the party begins to move off. There is a loud pop from behind the party, as Jonah Wilks Jr. has lifted the lid of the altar up vertically, does something, and then a ring of swirling iridescence appears on the platform. Myrell yells across the whirlpool of shimmering purple… stuff. One of the guards moves to attack Myrell from behind, but Deucalion knocks his knees in with TLK, and the guard stumbles forward and falls. Myrell says something, and out of a gargoyle comes a mummyoid thing that goes toward Myrell, then throws a guard into the whirlpool, who screams and turns into a puff of steam, at which point the altar shuts down and reverts. Wilks and his family run in the opposite direction. The party moves to form a circle, and Leonus proposes to Dana - she accepts. Wakinyan prays to Tatanka to give Leonus “manly power,” and Deucalion plays romantic music (0.5GXP). Myrell walks up to the party, sort of shaken. He is told what all the hubbub was about. He seems intrigued, and says he can’t do much about it, and that we will find that this is ‘very complicated’ soon enough. Myrell doesn’t offer what happened to the Riedran guards or Katavanash, but says that he has gone away and is not coming back for “…quite a while…”. Myrell warns Leonus of the Xen’Drik. He says that if he is going anywhere, they will be going on the Xen, and says to not go fishing on it- “you’re more likely to be reeled in than reel in. Also, never ride a ghost centaur. By the way, mind the moons[o3] .”

Deucalion ordains the marriage ceremony between Leonus and Dana, but partway through, a were-rat comes darting out of the bushes and attacks two of the vikings. Two vikings move to intercept the rat. Ademar charges the were-rat with his lance, which does 23 damage, and pins the rat to the ground. When the rat dies, it turns back into a Riedran guard.

The marriage ceremony is completed, and Deucalion officially weds Dana Wilks to Leonus Kraal. The party does the paperwork. The party arrives back to the city at about 0600 13Dec.

SCENE 2.3 – The Big Sell

''Deucalion’s and Jaycinthe them speak of the arrangements for the auction of the Riedran machine. Time of the auction is up to Deucalion, but it was arranged for the day after they arrived. She suggests the best place to hold the auction would be somewhere within the bounds of Kundarak Enclave. The terms are simple - vetted people are invited, six people in total. Jan Yonkers Ziska is a merchant collector who was a recent addition. ''

A messenger comes in and tells Deucalion that the auction is going to start. It’s a Dutch auction - all money goes towards the seller. At the auction, it sells for Au 37,000 final, with other bids -Su97,000 total.

The buyer was Jan Ziska[o4], who is about 60, a merchant, has lived in Stormreach most his life, but is not from here. Towards the end of the day, a frantic messenger comes to Jaycinthe and says that Ziska wants the police - he has been beaten up, and the artifact stolen from his houses - the Detective comes in saying he suspects the Riedran - and as it turns out, the thieves too the artifact to the harbor and loaded it on a merchant ship which immediately.

Deucalion tells the Jarl about the ship, and he instantly wishes to set out and reclaim the lost item - with Deucalion along, who gladly accepts his offer of traversing the high seas on another great plundering.

Jaycinthe has received an inquiry about the whereabouts of the Ambassador from the Embassy, which he has not gone back to.

SCENE 2.4 – Who Poisoned Anghien?

Jacinteleq moves to investigate the house of the suspect in Anghien’s drugging. In the house of Jenser Iman[o5], a local merchant, was found, a safe in which was 2,000Au of jewels, and three rings on his hands, one called Life, the other Death as more of a social joke, and third diamond, unnamed. Jacinteleq resolves some of her investigative things. Jenser has a very intense gaze, is fairly florid and flush. His apartment is B12 South Harbor, and the entire top floor of a 40x40 meter building is his. There are no written papers of any sort in his personal space in his building floor.

Jenser is tied, hands behind back, and standing between the couch and only table in the huge room. He complains of his hands going numb, and Det. Sgt. Zurran has his hands retied in front.

Wakinyan goes to the safe itself, and thinks that there is another safe behind it. In there are a stack of letters, some from him and some to him. Jacinteleq reads them - all of them are addressed to Lord Katanavash, and written in Anglic and Riedra. The letters go back three years, and involve many transactions - he was being paid to do a long list of things, including –probably - hire the man to drug Anghien. Jenser suddenly gasps and looks up toward a window, over which a shadow passes. The guards look up, and then Jenser reaches  for the table. He pops one of the rings into his mouth, which Wakinyan tries to loosen, and fails. He starts to convulse and go rigid, but Wakinyan stabs him with the Mephit dagger, possibly placing him in stasis before he truly dies. Det. Sgt. Zurran sends runners to get members of House Jorasco and House Vol. The Detective then inspects the letters, and finds them odd. Every line is spaced an exactly equal distance from the others. It turns out that the letters were indeed sent psionically both ways, and printed with psionically.

[o1]Sayaret Matkal Arrival unique.

[o2]Deucalion EM 28Ap19:2321

[o3]NB all Myrell’s warnings. '''ALSO Create NPCID and PH for Myrell'''. Hie is a famous retired wildcatter.

[o4]What is is place?

[o5]Agent of Change posing as Riedran mercenary agent.