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The Envoys Timeline
| ACT 1 : The Envoys | ACT 2 : The November Crisis | ACT 3 : Day of Vermin | ACT 4 : Commonwealth | ACT 5 : Battle for the Crownsfort | ACT 6 : Crack the Mountain | Epilogue |
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ACT 1
THE ENVOYS
| Dawnbrook Expedition | The Magpies | A Business Proposition | Recovering Assets | Tichondrius, The Prophet | Cleanup |
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Dawnbrook Expedition
September, AoH 232
| 9/19 | Party arrives in Dawnbrook | A group of new members from the Crownsfort’s League of Envoys are sent to the small town of Dawnbrook, far South of the capital’s territory, to investigate an encroaching curse that infests the dead and infects the living, turning bodies into feral monsters referred to as “Candies.” The name comes from the crystalline fungus that permeates the bodies of the infected. |
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| 9/20 | Investigation of Dawnbrook | Mercer Thorne, Gabriel Venks, Edward “Slim Eddy” Puello, and detective Amelia O’Sheridan encounter a well-known woodsman in town named Rayno Trifonov. He offers to help with their investigation, and the party heads to the Cullen family’s farmstead to investigate the father’s disappearance. A few stray Candies are encountered in the cornfield, and the party dispatches them quickly. |
| 9/21 | Investigation of Coppermouth | The party journeys north to the abandoned town of Coppermouth where they find the well-known explorer Matthias Von Eiley barricaded in a cellar. He is injured, clearly infected with the Plague, and barely lucid. The Envoys are forced to put him down in self-defense as the infection takes hold. - After this, the party returns to Dawnbrook to hire a guide - a frog-man named Borro - to help them scout the moors out towards Gawnhurst, the abandoned city believed to be the Plague’s source. In the midst of the reconnaissance, the party investigates an abandoned farmhouse where they find a strange symbol carved inside the grain silo. As attempts are made to get closer to Gawnhurst, resistance from the local Candies increases, and eventually the party is chased back down the road and forced to hold up in the aforementioned farmhouse for the night |
| 9/22 | The Fall of Dawnbrook | The next day, as the party heads back into the woods towards Dawnbrook, they happen upon an infected giant that attacks and chases them. Borro is trapped beneath a fallen tree and left for dead as the party flees. - As the party returns to Dawnbrook, it is clear that the Candies have begun wandering closer and closer to the town’s outskirts. The party - with the help of the townsfolk - set a perimeter of bonfires to ward off the undead, but become keenly aware that something is directing the Candies towards Dawnbrook specifically and that these fires will not deter them for long. As resistance continues to mount, a giant figure appears at the outskirts of town. Another undead giant, though seemingly uninfected and intelligent, watches from afar and seems to control the horde. - Rayno and the townsfolk agree that Dawnbrook is no longer safe and set the town ablaze to buy time for the civilians to escape. An armored war balloon arrives, piloted by another Envoy - Matthias Von Eiley’s brother, Ludwig - who goes on the offensive and strikes down the mysterious giant. However, the Candies have already overrun the town, and all parties are forced to evacuat |
| 9/30 | Return to the Crownsfort | O’Sheridan returns to Riverloft, and the rest of the party returns to the Crownsfort, with their new companion Rayno in tow. |
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The Magpies
October, AoH 232
| 10/5 | Tollins Expedition | The party is employed by High Justice Thomas Brandel to forcibly retrieve an Incursion War-era golem from “the Magpies,” a crime syndicate that controls a sizable chunk of the northern city of Tollins. They are also told that the Magpies’ kingpin, Warren Lang, would be a useful asset to recover as well. The party is accompanied by one of Voss’s Envoys, Percival Axton, and are told they will encounter further allies within the city. |
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| 10/8 | Arrival in Tollins | The party arrive in Tollins and meet with their contact, Rick Coville, who briefs them on the situation and explains that Lang has multiple body-doubles, which will make the process of capturing him far more difficult. Coville then helps the party break into one of the magpies’ warehouses in the city. - While there, Coville discovers a “turn-key” that is supposed to help activate the golem, which he says is one of a set of two. However, upon Mercer’s investigation, the object appears to be a disguised explosive, and the party ducks out of the safehouse just in time before the key explodes. Coville is struck by debris, and is stunned briefly as the party notices a hooded figure fleeing a nearby rooftop. Gabe casts Hold Person on the figure, revealing her to be a Demon who Coville identifies simply as “Jade” before she breaks free and escapes |
| 10/9 | Lang is revealed | At the start of the day, the party seeks out Coville, but can’t find him. They go to the residence where he was supposedly staying, and find that it has not been lived in for some time. - The party meets up with the local branch of the Shroud - Voss’ personal secret service - and adds Dr. Petra Lindholm to their group in an effort to try and find Coville. Her operations have allowed her to glean some info on the Magpies’ operations, and she informs the party of a meeting that’s supposed to take place between Lang and a criminal informant at the city gates. - At some point in here, the party finds out that Coville was actually Lang in disguise, and that Coville was killed before they arrived in the city. - Slim Eddy meets with the informant, who turns out to be working for a larger, thought-to-be-disbanded network of criminals known as the Gardeners. The informant tells Eddy in code that the golem is being moved north and is already outside the city. He then notes that, when Eddy pretends to be Lang, that Lang is already outside the city. Eddy books it out of there before the informant can stop him and tells the party the situation. The party heads out of the city but are briefly stopped by the Magpies in the area who block their path. Somewhere in here, they find Coville trying to escape and hand him temporarily over to the militia while they continue on after the Magpies transporting the golem through the woods. - The party catch up to the henchmen in the woods north of Tollins, and engage them at the edge of a grove. The disturbance summons a large Wealdwatcher Demon who enters the fight as a third party, wreaking havoc on both sides. The henchmen are defeated and the party recovers the magical storage unit containing the golem. Slim Eddy starts seeing illusory eyes growing out of his arm. - Reinforcements arrive, however, and the party is forced to flee back towards the city. A firefight ensues, but they manage to rendezvous with the militia and make it out of the city safe and back towards the Crownsfort with Lang, the Golem, and Petra in tow. |
| 10/13 | Return | After meeting the Gardeners’ informant on the road home, shooting his horse, then apologizing when they realize he was basically just a courier and un-shooting his horse with Percy’s healing magic, the party returns home, but not before Gabe spots a Demonic silhouette in the mountains above. - The Golem, who introduces itself as Quentin, is put in the care of House Fedorov to study and investigate. |
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A Business Proposition
October, AoH 232
| 10/14 | Ideation | Slim Eddy and Rayno come up with the idea of opening up a restaurant that sells “Pizza,” a street food from down in Rayno’s neck of the woods. They begin to search out properties and come across an old blacksmith shop for sale on one of the ramps just off of Apple St, one of the commercial hotspots of the upper city. |
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| 10/15 | Renovation | The party, accompanied by Slim Eddy’s best friend Freakshow, purchase the property only to find out that a giant has been sleeping in the basement for thirty years. The giant, the legendary Incursion War hero Borghildr, allows the party to build their business on the property - which the state originally gave to him after the war - as long as he gets to stay in the basement. Eddy and Rayno agree, and thus the construction of Rayno’s the Original Pizzeria begins. A delectable recipe is drummed up by Rayno and taught to a few culinary students eager for work, and the restaurant is slated to open at the end of the year’s Rhinegold Harvest festival in seven days. |
| 10/16 | Pilfering | Slim Eddy, Thin Man, and BabyFist consult Gramps on procuring ingredients for Rayno’s recipe. Many ingredients are easily gotten, but dough proves more difficult, so the three end up raiding an industrial bakery for what will become the blueprint for Rayno’s iconic pizza dough. |
| 10/23 | Knife Fight Tuesday’s I: Kick the Chair! | Slim Eddy goes deep into the sewers to partake in his favorite hobby: killing people with knives. He emerges and comes to Gramps’ house with Slick Ned, his arch enemy and doppelganger, in captivity. The party watch as Eddy interrogates Ned about his associations with Tichondrius. They then beat Ned up and throw him back in the sewer. |
| 10/22 | Rayno’s the Original Pizzeria | Slim Eddy instructs everyone to spread the word about the opening of Rayno’s, and employs some unusual marketing tactics to get promotional flyers into people’s houses. Meanwhile, Rayno and his fellow cooks race to fill out the menu and get the place in tip-top shape. That evening, when the doors open, dozens of patrons flood the restaurant and are delighted by the food, the ambience as provided by Thin Man’s piano skills, and eccentric, cordial presentation provided by Eddy. - In the midst of all this, Eddy notices a familiar face in the crowd, who immediately darts out of the building. Eddy tracks the man down easily, who is revealed to be Jimmy the Squeeze, a gangster that Eddy left for dead many years ago. It seems that Jimmy has buried the hatchet, however, and Eddy offers him a job at the restaurant. Jimmy warily agrees. |
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Recovering Assets
October, AoH 232
| 10/25 | Sew-and-Sew’s | Master Titus Voss instructs the Envoys to investigate the disappearance of two Shroud members - Maka Li and Berk Salazar - who were investigating rumors of cultist activity in the ringlet town of Brimberg East. - The party breaks into Sew-and-Sew’s, a tailor shop that the lost envoys were investigating. Inside, they encounter two criminals who Slim Eddy recognizes as Kegstand and Brickhouse, members of his old gang led by the Demon Tichondrius. The tension is diffused, and Kegstand explains that they’re both still working for Tichondrius, but want desperately to get out of the gang. Eddy offers them protection, and the sisters abandon their guard post to allow the party to go into the shop’s basement. At this point, the party calls for Royal Guard reinforcements. - Once down in the cellar, Petra detects multiple invisible attackers waiting to strike. An ambush ensues with the attackers revealed to be dressed in the same garb as the henchmen the party fought out in the woods earlier this month. Once the assassins are repelled, the party find Berk and Maka inside one of the large wine barrels. They press on further into a secret tunnel in the cellar as the Guardsmen arrive. A firefight ensues in the tunnels, where the party meet Buckeye (another member of Tichondrius’ crew), who shoots at them a lot. - Petra is shot and, in response, takes off her blindfold, causing a deadly and chaotic storm of magic before she passes unconscious. Some explosives chucked by the gangsters cause a cave-in in the tunnel, blocking off further passage and killing the guard captain. Buckeye, unconscious, is retrieved from the debris and taken into custody. - Slim Eddy is brought in to question one Leon “Hagfish” Stockton, another captured member of the Magpies. Eddy recognizes him from Tichondrius’ crew and manages to get him released. Hagfish relocates to Gramps’ house and begins to act as his caretaker (not necessarily of his own accord). |
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| Answers | Eddy, Mercer, and Percy search for Petra, who hasn’t shown in a few days. They find Petra in her other split-form, Kay, in the throes of drinking in their apartment. Kay gives them the rundown of their and Petra’s condition, and explains the origins of their unique blindness. - Gabe visits Buckeye in custody and asks him about his relationship to Tichondrius, as well as Slim Eddy. Buckeye is marginally helpful, and also expresses a sliver of respect for Eddy walking out on the gang because of his differences with Tichondrius. - A note is found in the Pizzeria after hours, instructing Slim Eddy to come to the Cavendish St. docks the following night. |
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| The Rift Map | House Fedorov consults the party on their interactions with Quentin, and are brought down to where he’s being kept. Voss, Fedorov, and a dignitary from Kletzen are there observing the golem on the other side of a lead-lined chamber. - Mercer, Percy, and Eddy go in to talk to Quentin. After a time, Slim Eddy begins to see glowing eyeballs appear in the corners of the chamber - similar to those on his arm - and tells everybody to get out quickly. As they leave, they notice a large Lacka Demon - Dr. Richter Einhorn - who ducks out of the hallways as the chamber behind the group unbuckles from the foundations of the building. The chamber then shoots up through the ground floor and out through the roof of the building, disintegrating in a flood of magical energy. Quentin floats there above the plaza in a fetal position and a blinding orange light emanates from him, displaying a map of the world. White dots across the map appear to be tracking frays in the leylines between Facet and the Underworld, and all in attendance below begin notating frantically as to what this could mean. - Later that night, Slim Eddy casts Mind Spike on his own hand and almost dies instantly from it. However, he does gain the ability to see the Rift Map remotely if he closes his eyes. - Rayno gets some information from his Mask, and secretly draws blood from BabyFist to pay for it. Thin Man is watching from outside as per Slim Eddy’s request, and sees this happen. He leaves silently and notifies Eddy. - Eddy then sneaks into Mercer’s house in the night and asks him to look into what Rayno’s deal is. Mercer HATES that Eddy just did that but agrees hesitantly. |
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Tichondrius, the Prophet
October, AoH 232
| 10/26 | Project Aegis | The Magic Council, paired with other High Court members, begins to put together a team of magical and scientific experts to study the Rift Map, which remains suspended along with Quentin’s body above the plaza. Quentin appears to still be functioning, and seems to be displaying the map willingly now that he is out of captivity. - The party meets several individuals, including Gabe’s mother (Ami Osman), two Spirits (Dunwall and Hargruth), and a pair of adventurers who seem to be in Master Lindigast’s good graces specifically (Kestrel and Volka). Also present is Mercer’s friend and former academic colleague, Claudia Barry, who has an expertise in Underworld studies. Gabe and Percy become fast friends with Hargruth and Dunwall, respectively. |
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| Buckeye Peeps In! | Gabe brings Slim Eddy to Buckeye’s cell and they hash things out for a while. Buckeye tells Eddy that the gang’s been falling apart over the past few months since he left, and Tichondrius seems obsessed with getting him back. On top of that, Buckeye says that one of the gangsters, Doc, got drastically more power than he had previously over the recent months. Then, one day, the power overtook him and his body calcified into a crystal. Buckeye says that Tichondrius then walked over and absorbed whatever forces were left in Doc’s body and looked healthier than ever. He mentions that a bunch of other gangsters have dropped off the map, but he’s unsure if they just left or Tichondrius has been collecting on his blessings in secret, one by one. - Slim Eddy ends up offering Buckeye a job as an accountant and bartender for the pizzeria due to his past experience, and also as a way to keep him safe from Tichondrius. |
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| Bound in Blood | Slim Eddy and Rayno interview Buckeye at the pizzeria, and then talk about the meeting Eddy has been invited to. Eddy asks Rayno to come along in secret, and also reveals that he’s commissioned an explosive vest from Kegstand as collateral in case things go sour. - The two have a long telepathic conversation about the other members of the group, questions about each other’s motives / true nature, as well as their end-goals. A new alliance is forged. - After some questioning, Rayno offers to turn Eddy into a Vampyr to give him an edge against Tichondrius. After a lot of deliberation, Eddy agrees; Rayno sires him, noting that the powers will begin to manifest at sunset. - Gramps challenges Rayno to a game of backgammon, but tells Rayno that he must procure a magic feather from Grila’s Grotto (a local magic item shop) first. |
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| A Friendly Duel | Gabe goes to consult Master Rochester about his talks with Hargruth, and a possible fusion in the near future. The two spar briefly as they converse. Lafoy is also in attendance. Rochester reveals that her involvement with Project Aegis will likely see her leaving the city for some time. | |
| Candyman | In the evening, an unexpected guest enters the pizzeria. Candyman, kingpin of the Sweets (one of the largest crime syndicates in the city) makes an appearance, and offers to provide some security for Eddy if things should boil over between him and Tichondrius. - Gabe brings Hargruth to the pizzeria to get him formally acquainted with the party. - The group does some item shopping. Rayno buys the feather from Grila, and others buy weapons from the Sunken Spark. |
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| Backgammon | During some party goofs at the pizzeria, Gramps beckons Rayno into the storage room for their planned game of backgammon. During the game, Gramps seems different, much more absent and plaintive than usual. He asks for the name of who Rayno used to work for, before everything here in the Crownsfort. It takes some doing, but Rayno eventually volunteers the name “Etienne Du Sang.” A curse is lifted. Gramps becomes fully lucid for the first time in decades and, as he’s regaining his faculties, explains to Rayno that Du Sang (then in the body of Bear Cavendish) turned him into a vampire in a public bathroom in Diron twenty years ago. Babyfist then attacked and killed Cavendish, but not before Cavendish could lay a mysterious curse upon Gramps’ mind. The nature of that curse led Gramps through the ensuing years in a fugue state, moving impossible amounts of money - both legitimate and ill-gotten - all over the place in such a way that not only did it make Gramps one of the most wanted white-collar criminals in Crownsfort history, but also put the neighboring city of Eisenstadt on the razor’s edge of economic collapse. This revelation, more than anything else, reveals to Rayno that his old master, who he thought he’d killed nearly a century and a half prior, had been seen far more recently traipsing around in another man’s body. | |
| The Meeting | The entire party, coupled with some reinforcements from the Sweets, converge silently on the Cavendish St. docks. Slim Eddy decides not to take the vest. After a brief conversation with an invisible Tichondrius, Slim Eddy and the party attack with the Sweets in tow. Tichondrius reveals several henchmen of his own in the backstreets, as well as his dog, Big Dog. Tichondrius takes control of some of Candyman’s Jawbreakers, prompting Candyman to flee immediately. The party are left to fend for themselves as they are assailed on all sides, fighting destructively through several houses (including Kyle the Jumpman’s). With the help of the remaining Sweets, Bozo and Crumplezone, the party manages to defeat Tichondrius despite many serious injuries. Mercer takes Tichondrius’ gun, Dragnet, and Rayno takes his coat. Eddy takes his mask. - In the aftermath, the party huddles up in one of Bozo’s hideouts to hide from the ensuing Royal Guard investigation of the site of the battle. When the Royal Guard arrives, a fight breaks out between them and more of Tichondrius’ henchmen who have arrived too late. Slim Eddy feels a heaviness in his body be lifted as he crushes the last bit of crystal fused to Tichondrius’ mask. However, he also begins to feel some of his stolen age catch back up with him. His physical youth begins to fade. When he sleeps, the Idol of Lust appears to him and offers to restore a vestige of his youthful luster. He accepts without a second thought, and gains the ability to disguise himself magically. |
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Cleanup
| 10/27 | Stray Friends | The party returns to the Cavendish St Docks to look for Big Dog, who they find asleep in the back alleys. Rayno befriends Big Dog, who has a note in his mouth. The note has an address scrawled on it. - The party sends Big Dog with Babyfist back to Rayno’s apartment, while they head to the address, which appears to be a large, abandoned warehouse. Inside, they find a bruised and unconscious Maka, who has the words “I SEE YOU, RAYNO” tattooed on her neck. The party quickly stabilizes Maka and brings her to the High Plaza, where she is placed into intensive care under Voss’ supervision. |
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| The Tailor | Slim Eddy takes Percy to a tailor he’s been seeing for years, who is revealed to be none other than Mercer’s mother. Percy gets a new suit, and reveals that he has only had one change of clothes this whole time. Percy learns that Mercer doesn’t talk to his mom very often and is filled with rage. | |
| Interviews | Bozo and Icy Veins, another of Tichondrius’ ex-goons, pass interviews for the pizzeria and are hired on as an entertainer and pastry chef respectively. They also interview Slow Burn, who decides mid-interview that he would rather leave the city and go on a journey of self-discovery. Bigfoot, along with Kegstand and Brickhouse, opts to live at Gramps’ and does not interview for the pizzeria. - Donny Girard is hired on as the third Envoy Supervisor, working alongside Renee Chauchat and Ernie Warwick. |
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| Knife Fight Tuesday’s II: Rayno’s Big Oopsie! | Eddy takes the gang and Kestrel to Raphael’s Illicit Tavern & Dave’s Black Librarium, a secret criminal bar, fighting ring, and pseudoscientific archive all wrapped into one chamber hidden deep within the Crownsfort sewers. - Here, the party formally meets Kyle the Jumpman. This time, however, he’s accompanied by a criminal chimp (Congo) who engages in tonight’s festivities - Knife Fight Tuesdays, Slim Eddy’s favorite event of the week. The gang enjoys Raphael’s famous Chicken Alfredo, and Rayno befriends Congo, who Mercer has gifted with the ability to understand language for a short time. Many knife fights are had, most of which involving party members. Other notable attendees include Kestrel and two Demons, Syd Vulcan and Mallie Droza. - During a knife fight with a stranger, Rayno employs the use of his life-draining powers. He loses control briefly, however, and turns the man into a papery husk. A grave faux pas has been made. Percy tries to save the man, but he’s already very dead. Outraged, he demands to fight Rayno. Rayno refuses to fight Percy, and the two separate. Rayno goes over to Raphael and apologizes for the accident. Raphael gives a knowing nod and notes that he thought he recognized Rayno. In that moment, Rayno recognizes Raphael as Johann Grauss, an old business partner of his under Du Sang. Johann tells Rayno not to kill people that way inside the circle because the blood spilled is helping him pay off his debt to an Underworld entity who has facilitated all the magical fixings of the bar. - Overhearing this, the rest of the party is shocked and confused. Gabe, in particular, is on the cusp of a violent outburst and leaves the bar. The others, aside from Rayno, follow suit. - Johann explains to Rayno that Du Sang seems to just pop up from time to time, reincarnating himself into a new body that he has on retainer any time he gets killed. Johann says that he himself was a member of the Gardeners back in their heyday around fifty years ago, and ended up staging a coup and killing Du Sang when he was in the body of the group’s leader, Errol Parch. |
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| Return to the Surface | Rayno does some damage control with the rest of the party as they head back to the pizzeria for the night. - Slim Eddy invites Gabe out for a drink. They go to a military bar that Gabe frequently visits and share their war stories: Gabe’s from the Dusk, and Eddy’s from the Incursion. Gabe sees the cult business at Raphael’s as manageable in the grand scheme of things, and Eddy makes it clear that he doesn’t dabble in that stuff. The two gain an understanding. |
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| 10/28 | Loose Ends | Slim Eddy meets up in the pizzeria with Kestrel and Volka. Kestrel is very concerned about Rayno’s actions from the previous night. Eddy attempts to allay her fears, assuring her that Rayno’s power is pointed in the right direction. The topic shifts to news about Weaversnest, and Kestrel mentions that she and Volka plan on heading there soon to raid the city’s archives. - Mercer consults Slim Eddy on his Mind Spike abilities, now that he himself appears to have stolen the ability from Tichondrius. In the process, Mercer accidentally casts Elder Mind Spike on Eddy. After the damage is done, the conversation shifts to Rayno and Gabe. They talk about Du Sang, hobbies, and ways to de-stress in the midst of all this. Then, Slim Eddy tells Mercer how to talk to people. He uses Thin Man as an example for this, and Mercer and Thin Man somehow bond over their love of literature? Also, Claudia confides in Mercer that she has a crush on Thin Man. - Percy invites Dunwall to the pizzeria for a chat about Spirits. A bond is formed. |
| 10/29 | Earrings of Sound Mind | Mercer meets with Kay to discuss a way for the party to communicate telepathically, or block out incoming divination. Though Kay is hesitant to try artificing in Petra’s stead, the two manage to drum up six functional pairs of earrings that prevent the wearer’s thoughts from being intruded upon. During this time, they both receive a message from their supervisor, Renee, that their presence is requested at House Brandel in 1 hour. |
| Ranna of Tryphe | Eddy approaches Rayno in the pizzeria about the nature of his new powers, as well as his relationship with both Du Sang and Johann. Rayno tells him about when he was sired by Du Sang around 300 years ago. Eddy asks about what’s up with Gramps, as Hagfish has been reporting a sudden clarity and productivity in the old man that isn’t typical. Rayno recounts everything that happened during the backgammon game. The two decide to commission silver rings for their employees, as well as the other party members, to weed out any chance that Du Sang is hiding in plain sight. They too, then, receive the same message that Mercer and Kay have received. | |
| Green Thumb | Percy meets Kestrel at the Lindigast Conservatory for a chat. The two met a few years back in university, and catch up a bit. Kestrel expresses some concern about Rayno, and echoes Percy’s worries about possible occult presence within the High Court. The conversation turns to Voss, and Kestrel vehemently recommends that Percy switch employers to Lindigast if possible. Kestrel gives Percy some advice about his importance as a healer, beyond the stipulations of the Court. Kestrel then mentions Dunwall - and Percy’s relationship with him - and gives him the heads-up that Dunwall is dying. This comes as a shock to Percy; Kestrel tells him that if he wants to fuse with Dunwall, they’re gonna have to do it soon. |
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ACT 2
THE NOVEMBER CRISIS
^ ^ ^
The Audit
October, AH 232
| 10/29 | Audit of Mercer Thorne and Dr. Petra Lindholm | Mercer and Petra arrive at House Brandel. A large gathering of people has amassed in the High Plaza, almost all of whom are Envoys or members of the Kingsgard. The two are led into a small room with one of Brandel’s detectives, Sebastian Ryland. He notifies them that the estate of Edward Strickland, father of Mercer’s dead academic rival, was robbed last night. The grave of his son William, the aforementioned rival, was also exhumed and the remains were stolen. Ryland assures them that they are being questioned on circumstantial evidence, and that the interrogation is mostly a precaution and a way to notify them that Slim Eddy is a prime suspect. Plus, Ryland reveals that House Brandel is investigating a paper trail that draws a connection between Slim Eddy and the elusive white-collar crime magnate, Taxman. Mercer and Petra both silently realize that this criminal must be Gramps, and that Gramps is the most wanted criminal in the city’s history. This is compounded with the revelation that William Strickland’s body has been stolen by an unknown actor. As part of this interview, Mercer and Petra are also subjected to a “Character Evaluation” by Orra, a Spirit capable of sensing deception and brain activity in living things. It asks both of them a series of questions relating to their allegiances and any possible past acts of treason. They pass without much trouble, and Orra directs them both towards House Lindigast, both for Mercer’s interest in Spirits, and for Petra’s talents to be better utilized and appreciated. As they leave, they have a brief interaction with Donny, the new Envoy Supervisor. Mercer IMMEDIATELY HATES THIS GUY. |
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| Audit of Edward Puello | Slim Eddy is questioned by Ryland next. Eddy slips up a bit here and there when asked about his whereabouts the previous night, but nothing to put him in hot water. Ryland relates the news about the robbery last night, and asks if Eddy’s ever heard of the Taxman. When Eddy deflects, Ryland brings in Orra and asks Slim Eddy if he knows the Taxman’s name, or any other identifying qualities. Through this, Ryland pieces together that the two of them are talking about two completely different people; Eddy is talking about Du Sang, while Ryland is trying to get details about who Eddy knows to be Gramps. Orra is too busy to stay for much longer, and Ryland fumes at his inability to get much concrete information out of Eddy. Eddy does, however, give him some info on the Gardeners and lets him know that Du Sang is still alive, and is the Taxman that HE’s talking about. Ryland asks in a cold sweat that Eddy let him know if there’s anything he finds out about Du Sang, then asks Orra back in for the evaluation. | |
| Audit of Rayno Trifonov | At the same time, in a nearby room, Rayno is being interviewed by another detective in the Order of Justice, Lucas Windsor. Windsor tells Rayno that he matches the description of an individual that murdered someone in front of the Thorne tailor shop last night. Rayno persuades Windsor to believe he couldn’t have done it, and confirms that his fellow envoys will corroborate. Windsor cracks some theories, particularly one that someone might have magically assumed his likeness to perpetrate the crime, which Rayno gives some credence but requests they continue that conversation in more private environs. Windsor obliges; they exchange a password and make plans to meet later in Windsor’s office. Orra then enters for the evaluation. Rayno passes, though Orra clearly senses that Rayno is not fully human. | |
| Audit of Gabriel Venks | Ryland interviews Gabe, opening with information regarding Underworld entities as Gabe had requested during his talks with Rochester about Hargruth. Ryland then swaps out for General Geneva Hagan of the Kingsgard, who offers Gabe, and the party by proxy, a position in the Kingsgard. Gabe requests some time to deliberate with the party, which Hagan allows, though she mentions she will be abroad for some time, and that he should relay updates to Renee instead regarding the decision. Orra then evaluates Gabe; the main difference in Gabe’s responses from the other is that, when asked if he has ever harbored ill will towards a current member of the High Court, his response is “Yes, but that has since changed”. Orra concludes the evaluation by noting that Gabe will find Hargruth at the conservatory. - On the way out, Gabe runs into Donny, who says he’s also just been evaluated. He mentions offhandedly that Slim Eddy’s audit took longer than the others, and Rayno’s was shorter. He departs soon after. |
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| The Donny Problem | After talking with Gabe, Donny takes a brief break before heading back to work. He takes a walk down a street from the High Plaza, where he is distracted by some movement in an alley. He remains absent from his duties for around twenty minutes. | |
| Audit of Percival Axton | Percy arrives about thirty minutes late, and Donny interviews Percy in the first half of his evaluation. He asks Percy in particular about any developments in his healing powers since he started working with the party, as well as his role in the fight with Tichondrius, and specifically any unusual affects Percy’s spells might have had on Tichondrius or other Demons directly. Afterwards, Orra carries out the evaluation as usual, noting offhandedly that it didn’t know Donny was on call for the interviews. | |
| Clearing Things Up | Mercer and Eddy convene after their evaluations and confirm with each other that neither of them had anything to do with the Strickland robbery. - Gabriel arrives at the conservatory and meets Hargruth out on the balcony. The two look out over the incredible view of the city, and Hargruth mentions the Spiritual concept of the Nemesis. He mentions that his Nemesis, Bex, is still in the Underworld, and that he came here to escape from her. He proposes that, when his flame starts to run down, that Gabe fuse with him so that the cycle between him and Bex might be broken. Gabe, though overwhelmed by Hargruth’s dire demeanor, agrees. The two also experiment with the TEMPR, which Hargruth finds that he can interface with. After this, Gabe heads back inside, and Lindigast offers that he can take a nap in the conservatory since he seems stressed. Gabe obliges, but not before Dunwall offers a possible remedy for some of Gabe’s worries. Gabe agrees, and falls into a deep sleep augmented by Dunwall’s healing magic, which soothes his battle-weathered mind - at least somewhat. |
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| The Thorne Tailor Shop | Later in the day, the party heads to the Thorne tailor shop while on errands to check on Mercer’s sister, Lyza, the sole witness to the aforementioned murder last night. They find that the shop is being guarded by Zozo, a giant in the employ of the Crownsfort Vanguard. Rayno elects to stay outside and across the street so as to not cause any distress with his likeness. - Mercer checks in with his mother and sister. Percy does the majority of the questioning with Lyza, and weirdly kinda hits it off with one of the only people around his age he’s talked to in a while. He mentions that he’s going to become a Demon soon, and invites the Thornes to the ceremony he’s planning for it. On top of that, the party also invites the Thornes to the pizzeria that night. |
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| Dinner at Rayno’s | The gang is put under major stress leading up to the Thornes’ arrival at the pizzeria. This is partially due to Percy being all nerves, but much more due to the fact that Rayno has gotten pertinent information about Du Sang through his Mask, and that the payment in kind must be a blood sacrifice from none other than Mercer’s mother, Catherine. Rayno and Eddy are attempting as much as possible to keep things running smoothly while Percy makes a complete fool of himself at the table. Gabe’s dour additions to the conversation don’t help either. As the dinner winds down, Gabe offers to walk Catherine home and Rayno follows behind. Meanwhile, Mercer waits outside until Percy and Lyza are done having a chat and walks her home afterwards. Percy tells Eddy that he and Lyza have a date planned at the museum, and he’s convinced that Mercer will wipe him from the face of the earth if he finds out. | |
| Catherine’s Ultimatum | Gabriel and Rayno talk shop with Catherine on the way back to her home. She eventually asks about Mercer, and how he’s doing. She tells the two about his late older brother, and how she worries that Mercer blames himself for Gil’s death and Lyza’s injuries. Gabe and Rayno are sympathetic and reassuring, but as they step into the tailor shop behind Catherine, they make the uncomfortable request that she give them a bit of help with the ongoing murder investigation. She’s immediately on the defensive, obviously aware that they aren’t supposed to be involved in the case. She demands proof from their superiors, post-haste, that this is for official business, and won’t hear any compromises. It takes some persuading, but eventually they get her to relinquish a bit of her blood for the mask. It’s clear that Catherine is furious and doesn’t trust either of them. Rayno attempts to smooth things over with a Suggestion spell, which she resists entirely. She tells them to stay away from Lyza for a while and shuts the door. | |
| Late Night Rendezvous | Mercer and Gabe get together for a drink, and that’s all that happens that night. wink |
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Gramps, Vamps, and the Talking Owl
October, AH 232
| 10/30 | The Initial Meeting | While the others meet for breakfast at the pizzeria, Rayno and Slim Eddy meet up at Gramps’ place as per Eddy’s request. Gramps comes clean to Eddy about his vampyric state, and the curse he was under until literally four days ago. Eddy tells Gramps about the audits, and that the Order of Justice knows his rough location now. Gramps seems resigned to give up the ghost, and is more concerned about getting the heat off of Eddy and Rayno’s backs. - Gramps reveals that, while under the curse, he seems to have created an economic bubble in Eisenstadt that is sure to burst in the next few months, and when it does, it will completely collapse the city’s economy. He also mentions that he’s found some loose connections between Du Sang and the Purity Order (or what’s left of them). - The three begin to hatch a plan to get Gramps out of the city, while also exonerating Eddy of any suspicions about his possible ties to the Taxman. |
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| Eckler | Meanwhile, Mercer goes to the Conservatory to meet Eckler, and brings up the prospect of their fusion. Eckler isn’t impressed and demands a display of magical aptitude. Mercer and Juno, the Conservatory’s caretaker, spar with spells so as to demonstrate Mercer’s abilities, particularly those that allow him to redirect and even recast the spells of other casters. Mercer over-exerts himself doing this, but the display clearly has intrigued Eckler. He demands more proof of Mercer’s skills, but seems far more open to Mercer’s proposal than before. | |
| The Gramps Exit Heist | Once the plan is finalized, Rayno wipes Slim Eddy’s memory of the last two hours as discussed. He then ‘reminds’ Eddy that they were going to talk to Gramps. The Plan Ensues. In the process, both Ryland and members of the Royal Guard are alerted to the fact that the Taxman is escaping the city. In the following hours, they fail to find him. When interrogated by Ryland, Rayno has already wiped his own memory and he and Eddy plead a genuine ignorance to the whole thing, but admitting they expect the Taxman to no longer be an immediate problem in the city. With the case now out of his jurisdiction, Ryland has no choice but to let them both out of custody. Rayno and Eddy return to the pizzeria, only given a base amount of context for what happened via Rayno’s pre-written notes. Eddy has been shot, but Percy quickly manages to heal the wound. |
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| Dogs and a Chimp | The party goes to Rayno’s apartment to check on his new roommates, Congo and Big Dog. Petra wrestles with her fear of dogs. | |
| Leeches | Slim Eddy and Freakshow work out a deal that Freakshow will provide Eddy a weekly supply of blood from his bloodletting business, under the assumption that this is for Rayno’s magical practices. |
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Donny Girard
October, AH 232
| 10/31 | Supervisors | The party goes to the Envoy Supervisors’ office to get Percy reassigned to House Lindigast. Rayno also reveals to the party in private that his mask, fueled now by Catherine’s blood, has pointed towards Donny in regards to Du Sang’s current body. In the office, they also look for details on Donny. |
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| The Conservatory | The party heads to the Conservatory to talk to Lindigast. In the hallway up, Percy passes Syd Vulcan, who reveals that she’s also an EnvoyThe party heads to the Conservatory to talk to Lindigast. In the hallway up, Percy passes Syd Vulcan, who reveals that she’s also an Envoy. - In the Conservatory, the party finds Lindigast in a conversation with both Donny and Grila, the magic shop owner. Things seem slightly tense, and Percy pulls Donny away for a conversation while the others try to see if they can spot Du Sang’s mark on the back of his neck. Gabe attempts to brush Donny’s hair aside covertly but Donny swipes his hand away, unfazed and bemused. Gabe retorts by launching a javelin at him. Combat begins. |
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| The Attack | Percy relocates Lindigast to the balcony since she doesn’t have much combat ability, and heads back in to see that Donny and Grila have both squared up against the party. As the fight progresses, Grila reveals her ability to force spellcasting out of her foes, and Donny whips up a devastating necromantic spell that nearly completely destroys the conservatory. Mercer notes the spell and plans to use it himself using his unique mask ability. - As the fight begins to turn in the Envoys' favor due to the sheer number of combatants, Donny’s backup arrives in the form of Einhorn, who breaks the group up with deadly gatling gun fire. - Eventually, however, Donny is killed as he tries to escape back through the halls of House Lindigast. After weighing their options, Grila and Einhorn decide to flee the scene as their leader’s body is left in the Envoys’ custody. |
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| Aftermath | Knowing that Du Sang will inhabit a new body soon, the Envoys know that this fight is far from over. The entire party is carted off to the infirmary. Slim Eddy is by far the most injured, having nearly had his heart stopped by Donny in the midst of combat. - At the infirmary, the party catches up with Maka, who has recently awoken from her coma. |
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Sneaks and Spirits
November, AH 232
| 11/2 | Spirit Talk | Mercer talks to Eckler after the events of the past week, and the two discover that the Elder Idols are not quite as immortal as they seem. - Afterwards, Mercer speaks to Master Hammond about the prospect of fusing with Eckler. She is not enthused, but says that she’ll allow it if the Envoys can find another way to give the High Court access to the Lacka Network. |
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| Gabriel & Hargruth | Gabe and Hargruth travel to the tavern where Gabe lost his arm during the Great Dusk, which has since been abandoned. Here, the two meditate quietly and undergo their fusion. Gabe awakes some time later, fully formed as a Faust Demon. | |
| Wheelchair Tricks | In the sewers, Rayno helps Slim Eddy learn about how to use his powers. Slim Eddy, temporarily confined to a wheelchair, learns how to turn into a bat. - Rayno consults his mask on the names and locations of Lacka Demons for Mercer, and is met with the name Ogden Rosenthal. He also hears rumors about a Demon known as “The Awakened One,” a very powerful Lacka who directly serves the Idols. |
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| A Private Meeting | Rayno meets detective Lucas Windsor and Master Lindigast to discuss his knowledge and history with Du Sang. After convincing Lindigast to dismiss Windsor, Rayno is forced to reveal his true nature as a Vampyr to Lindigast. In exchange, Lindigast reveals that she is a Demon. The two come to an understanding, and Rayno cements himself in Lindigast’s good graces. - The two then head over to Einhorn’s office, where they discover a list of the names of human spellcasters who are studying or have studied at the Magic Institute. The details on each person on the list are incredibly extensive and likely were gleaned by Einhorn using the Lacka Network. In that vein, Rayno mentions the name Ogden Rosenthal in relation to the Magic Council’s search for new Lacka Demons. Lindigast says she’ll look into it. |
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| Percival & Dunwall | Percy has arranged a ceremony to take place in the Lindigast Conservatory, where he will fuse with Dunwall to become a Demon. Many of the party’s friends are in attendance, including (strangely) Mercer’s whole family, as well as Percy’s mother. His dog, Sunkist, is also there. Percy fuses with Dunwall, and becomes a Birch Demon. | |
| The Wisp | Percy, Eddy, Gabe, and Mercer all travel to the Strickland estate to investigate the exhumed grave of William Strickland. They don’t find much in the way of evidence, but they do discover a dormant Spirit in the bushes at the edge of the estate. Upon taking it to Lindigast, the Spirit reveals itself to be a wisp of some kind that was left by the culprit to keep an eye on the site of the crime. The wisp seems happy to be liberated from this task, and nonverbally identifies itself as ‘Sonna’. It remains in the conservatory with Lindigast. | |
| Knife Fight Tuesdays III: Lyza Edition! | Listen, as the DM, I’ll tell you straight-up: I don’t know why the party took Lyza - Mercer's younger sister, who is neither a criminal nor a fighter, mind you - to Knife Fight Tuesdays. I just don’t. But they did. Slim Eddy knife-fights with Slick Ned, who fights this time with a dangerous looking cursed knife. Eddy wins, and takes the knife (Y’Agg Grothull). - While other members of the party spar or absolutely dominate randos, Percy and Lyza do some light gambling. Eddy talks to two gangsters, Smiley and High Eyes, about working at the Pizzeria. |
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Cradle
November, AH 232
| 11/7 | Setting Off | Lindigast has made arrangements with the leader of a secret society of Demons up north in the Eastmounts to lend the services of one of their members, Ogden Rosenthal, as a channel to the Lacka Network for the High Court. The party is tasked with traveling to the Eastmounts, where they will link up with an informant and travel to the group’s underground city known as Cradle. Accompanied by their newly appointed carriage driver, Buttercup, the party embarks. |
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| 11/9 | Arrival in Cradle | In the snowy valleys of the Eastmounts, the party meets an Ardori Demon named Page. He escorts them down into the caves of Cradle under the influence of a hypnotic spell so they can’t discern the town’s exact location. Once they arrive in town, the party meets with Erin Faye, the town’s mayor. She points them towards Og’s residence, and they become fast friends with the Lacka Demon after he spars a bit with Gabe. |
| 11/10 | The Octagon | The party spends a day in Cradle during the Primarch Festival, which celebrates the Demonic pseudo-deities. They visit Narrow’s Oddities, a magic item shop in town. Erin invites the group to dinner, where they discuss the Witching Hour and Du Sang at length. It seems Erin is aware of both of these things, the former of which through Lindigast directly. She tells the group about Nehemiah Legrand - a recent body of Du Sang’s - who was the leader of the Demon-hunting Purity Order in Eisenstadt during the Dusk. It’s also here that the party learns Rayno’s approximate age - around 350 years. |
| Sneak-Dog | As the party beds down for the night, things start going missing, and Petra realizes that there’s a thief in her room thanks to her truesight. The party is awoken to find Sneak-Dog, legendary burglar and all-around sneak, rifling through their belongings. The party forces him to return all of their stuff with the help of Castille, a member of Cradle’s night watch. The party then returns to sleep in anticipation of their departure the following morning. | |
| Bean Juice Blues | Percy and Mercer share a heartfelt talk about Lyza and Demonhood. Percy offers Mercer a partnership in his practice studying magical healing. | |
| 11/11 | Slick Ned’s Revenge | The party leaves Cradle the same way they came, this time with Og in tow. They stop and camp in the woods for the night. A few hours in, Buttercup and - are keeping watch when they suddenly spot movement in the trees. The campsite is suddenly beset upon by a horde of candies. The group hastily boards the wagon while fighting off the horde. Several party members, as well as both Og and Buttercup, are critically injured during the escape. Percy manages to stabilize the wounded, and the party continues further into the night down the road, away from the horde. Eddy sees a silhouette up in the trees - a single human, riding a large bird. He knows deep down that it’s Slick Ned. |
| The Knighting | After returning to the Crownsfort with Og, the party is ceremonially knighted by Prince Taylor. BabyFist is also knighted. | |
| Mercer and Leo | Mercer has a talk with his father over lunch, and tells him about the Witching Hour. Leo is taken aback and clearly frustrated, but agrees to start making plans to get the family out of the city if things start to go poorly. | |
| 11/12 | Slumber Party! | The party gathers at Gramps’ house for Mercer’s and Eckler’s fusion. Slim Eddy searches the house for hidden compartments and finds the Shifter’s Shoes hidden inside a desk. |
| Mercer & Eckler | Mercer and Eckler fuse, transforming into an Ardori Demon. |
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The November Crisis
November, AH 232
| 11/15 | Thin Man Thursday Monday Meetings | Thin Man gathers Eddy and all the other gangsters at Rayno’s for their weekly meeting. Relocations of several gangsters newly employed by Eddy’s group are discussed, as well as Thin Man’s noting that Eddy and the gang aren’t actually really doing all that much illegal activity anymore. |
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| Property Boys | Eddy and Rayno rifle through some of Gramps’ old documents and uncover several deeds to different properties in both the Crownsfort and Eisenstadt. They decide to go with Thin Man and Hagfish to check out the local properties. They discover a house filled with bones, and a tailor shop with something mysterious in its basement… | |
| Vanta Black | Eddy and Rayno open up the cellar of one of Gramps’ tailor shops, revealing Kyle the Jumpman, tied to a chair in front of a wall that is pitch black and slowly undulating. They manage to get Kyle free and send Thin Man to grab the rest of the party. Rayno consults his mask as to the nature of the wall, and it simply refers to the entity as “one of our lost children.” Rayno infers then that the entity is a Herald of some kind. - The party gathers at the shop. |
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| Timebeast |
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Journey to Weaversnest
November, AH 232
11-17. Petra Resigns
Still recovering from their injuries, the party takes part in more Kingsgard combat training. Petra, severely weakened from the Timebeast fight, resigns from combat duties and begins working more directly with Lindigast using her skills as an artificer.
11-19. Debrief
Once the party has recovered, general Hagan asks for an audience with their squadron. She tasks them with doing some reconnaissance work around the Idol-Cult-occupied city of Weaversnest, to get a better sense of cultist activity in the area. The party accepts the job, and is given a few days to prepare.
Sura Segayara
A mysterious new criminal arrives in the Pizzeria, and offers Slim Eddy to help take down Candyman.
11-22. Departure
(WIP)
ACT 3
DAY OF VERMIN
The Chocolate Doubloon Heist
December, AH 232
(WIP)
🝖
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The Envoys kill Mr. Sterling during a High Court meeting. Using Og’s antimagic powers, they prevent Du Sang from reincarnating, finally putting his reign to an end.
However, the head of Sterling’s corpse begins to bloat, sprouting some sort of slowly growing cocoon-like protrusion. The High Court evacuates the building as the party calls on Gung Floe to transport the body as far away from the city as possible.
Percy comes with, attempting to keep the cocoon from hatching as long as he can. It isn’t long, however, before a tear forms in the membrane and a colossal, skeletal arm springs out. A creature begins to emerge from the cocoon, resembling a colossal dragon made from sinew, bone, and shadow. When the creature takes flight and begins to summon legions of flying vermin from its wings to scour the city, a sudden full evacuation of the Crownsfort begins.
Quentin’s rift map collapses, and the Envoys load him into their wagon for safety. Prince Taylor, in Voss’ company, states that the royals will attempt to set up shop in Klugmund for the interim while this new issue is being dealt with. Hagfish, BabyFist, and Thin Man accompany the party as they assist in the evacuation.
The MICA Vaults
December, AH 232
12-3. True Ned
Late in the night, the party returns to the High Plaza in an effort to enter the MICA vaults and prevent 🝖 from consuming the magical items and energy stored within. They are stopped short, however, by an interloper who has also snuck into House Hammond. Slick Ned, seemingly half-turned by the Gawnhurst Plague, ambushes the party with a horde of candies. It takes some doing, but the party finally deals away with Ned and burns his body.
The MICA Vaults
After solving the intricate puzzle door in House Hammond, the party travels down into the MICA vaults. There they encounter the Vaults’ construct assistant Grenda, who inhabits the walls amorphously. She helps the party sort through things that might be of use to them. The party discovers the section of the vaults that house the most dangerous weapons that the Crownsfort has salvaged, and debate over whether or not to take certain ones. In the end, they take a powerful necromantic warhammer named The Trade, several powerful accessories, an Iron Flask, a Mirror of Life Trapping, and a bag of Magic Beans.
Richter Einhorn
As the Envoys prepare to leave the vaults, a second party enters, led by Einhorn. Grila’s presence is felt too, though she is not seen. Einhorn commands a large Underworld creature known as a Darkbastion, which begins summoning other Underworld entities at an alarming rate. The party is forced to fight, and kills Einhorn along with the entities at his disposal. Gabe swallows Einhorn’s soul, and the group takes Einhorn’s gatling gun.
In the aftermath of the fight, a mysterious bird-like golem is set free into the night. Grenda escorts the party out of the Vaults before collapsing the whole complex into a distant pocket dimension.
A Messy Exit
The collapse of the vaults grabs the attention of 🝖, which lands in the high plaza just as the party attempts to make their escape. A fight ensues, quickly truncated as many of the party’s new magic items fail to harm 🝖 in any way that seems to matter. The party beats a hasty retreat through the city, beset upon by the creature all along the way. Eventually, they manage to find a hiding place on the city’s outskirts, and fatigue forces them to rest for a few hours.
Into the Commonwealth
December, AH 232
12-4. Scrying
During their downtime before leaving the city, Mercer experiences a vision that projects his consciousness into the audience of Grila and Candyman, who appear to be somewhere in Old Stormloch. The two, along with Syd Vulcan and Mallie Droza, appear to be arranging a northwest voyage out to sea. Grila seems to be the sole traveler among them, leaving the others to keep things in order in her absence.
Through Heiliguss
The party journeys out of the Crownsfort and into the Commonwealth to the east, with the intent of heading to Fathom. Rayno leaves most of his dogs in the care of the River guard, the town watch group in the Commonwealth city of Heiliguss. Slim Eddy picks up on rumors of a real-estate crime lord known as ‘Giraffe’.
The Revenant
Further into the journey east, Mercer decides on a whim to try scrying on William Strickland. To his horror, he begins to observe an undead figure cloaked in rags. Bereft of his body’s own senses, he is unaware that the revenant is very close by, and stalking the party’s wagon. As he drops out of scrying, the wagon is beset upon by Strickland, who jumps aboard in an effort to kill Mercer. He is beaten back, however, and eventually defeated by the party.