Session 39
Fact Sheet: The deal of a lifetime!
Players present: Ecchima, Marty, Meinhart, Tuur and Vinnie. Dins was our GM.
Date: 28-02-2024
Date in-universe: it’s Thursday around 11 a.m. when the session ended
Major developments
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Previously: session 38 When did Ezra sign up to be the dad to a bunch of teenagers and chaos gremlins?
Up next: session 40
Notes
Sidling up to Fyllion, Simeon quietly apologizes for everything about the break-up: being a dick to supposedly make it easier on Fyllion, doing it through a stupid note and a street urchin who swindled Fyllion out of a gold piece, … Simeon expresses his hope Fyllion can see why Simeon tried to hurt him to order to keep Fyllion safe.
A bright-eyed Ophelia smiles cheerily: "You think I was hurt? You think you have to come and console me over my feelings because you broke up with me? In order to break up, there has to be something there, first".
"Oh," is all Simeon can manage to croak out.
Ophelia chirps: "I am the one who's sorry, for making you feel that way. I do tend to have that effect on people". With a 26 in deception, Ophelia is completely convincing. Simeon winces & tries to hide how hard this hits him, but we can all see his man-pain. She twists the knife: "I hope you can remember your time with me as a good thing, and that you realize such a short fling in my eternal life as an Arch Fey is on a totally different timescale for me”.
With a troubled grimace, Simeon asks Ophelia: “Just tell me one thing: was it you who told her? Was that your way to get rid of me?”, referring to the tenacity with which Reva pursued him, and the cruelty with which Reva fought him. Unrelenting, Ophelia continues her lies: “It being me would imply that I care enough and hear me when I say: I don't". Trying to be mature about this mess of his own design, Simeon replies: "well, I'm thankful for your help & the help of your friends. The hope that I'd meet you here was the only reason I begged Reva for my life". With a brittle smile, Ophelia concludes this painful and awkward to witness conversation: "I'll add it to my list of good deeds".
Dejected Simeon turns to the rest of us & gestures he should follow his new employer. While he's promising us, he's going to make a dedicated effort to turn a new leaf, Storm gingerly hugs him & doesn’t even attempt to pickpocket him, since it’s pretty obvious Simeon doesn’t have anything anyway.
Stepping away from Storm’s hug like a horse that heard a rattlesnake in the paddock, Simeon scurries over to Ezra: “I remember what my magic shape-shifting tattoo looks like, I have it memorized. when my hand is healed enough, I could draw it for you, so you have it whenever you find someone who can create magical tattoos. It's painful as shit though”. El interjects with “if your shit is painful, you have to see a doctor” but Ezra and Simeon just awkwardly pat each other. Simeon slips away.
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Oddly deflated after this anti-climactic intervention where we didn’t even choose violence, we discuss what we shall do next:
- Ezra wants to buy 10 normal arrows
- we have to attend the lunch with Mi’kal’s family
- Ophelia needs to transform into Garald Mountainverse sometime before the performance in the Spoon and Fork eatery in the Dwarven district
Beyond that, Storm hopes to learn more about the Magpie family by loitering in the mining district. Ezra figures it’s doubtful this will be useful: John Magpie is old, old as balls, so how likely is it that anyone remembers him here? Aqueel squeals “old as balls” while Ezra gestures to the others we’re all going to the mining district, because it feels too weird to let Storm go alone right now. Storm did just make the unhinged decision to try and steal from the guild master.
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As we walk through the residential area, there's normal hustle and bustle of the people who live there, but as we get closer to the deep gnome mines, everything becomes quieter, as if people here withdrew into the mines.
Inconspicuously we keep getting closer to the mines. Eventually, we reach the cliffside and see the entrance to the deep gnome mines:
- huge grated gates are closed, blocking the entrance
- a track leading out of the mine
- some carts stored outside
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At the grated gates, we see the deep gnome Feynmann, Rilke's assistant, yelling into the dark: “I demand to be seen, you can't just lock me out like this”. Hali surprises him with a droll "we see you". He's startled, because the area is very quiet apart from the roaring waterfall nearby. He grumbles he can see someone in the dark, but they won't talk to him or let him into the settlement. They just babble about safety.
El has perfect night vision & can tell this is an outpost where the ore is brought out. There are offices and booths and social spaces, it's not just a mine. El also sees the figure in the darkness: it's another deep gnome who doesn't react to Feynmann.
El calls out "hello person, you there inside, can I have a word". For a moment, El sees a flash of yellow glint in the gnome's eyes. Then she turns & approaches the gates: Sloane is a deep gnome woman with a lot of golden keys at her belt. She looks slightly dazed on top of being stand-offish. Somehow it creates a very unnatural expression on her face. El whispers their observations to us, but none of us are any the wiser. As we ponder it, we hear her voice ring out: “please leave, there is too much danger about, we must protect the settlement”.
El and Ezra assure the woman that we're here to help. Sloane replies the deep gnomes don't need help. Ezra scoffs at that & El whispers we just have to convince them that we're not violent. Ophelia and Ezra suggest El talks about their camel, animal friends are friendly, right? And who’s a better judge of character than a camel?
When El starts talking again to introduce us, the strange expression flits over her face again & the yellow flicker is also back. She mumbles that her name is Sloane, but she just wants us to leave. El manages to engage her in conversation, so she steps a little closer (though still far): “Maybe you can help us, but I think it would be smarter for you to avoid getting involved. I can't let you in here, I just can't”.
- Hali: are you afraid of letting us in or of letting something out?
- Sloane: Are you adventurers, can you take care of yourselves? There's something in here with us... Can you come back in a few days? If I let you in now, I don't know what he'll do to them.
- Ezra: we can come back, can you let us know when it's safe?
- Sloane: I'll see if & how I can keep my faculties, then I'll send you a letter.
In a whisper, El reminds us that the full moon is only 3 or 4 days away, so we side-eye Sloane. Ophelia offers (in a similar whisper) that she can break a charm on one person, but Ezra figures all the deep gnomes might be turned into werewolves... Ophelia hums a little ditty to dispel magic, but while we all see that Sloane hears the music, she doesn't react in any other way. What should our next step be?
- consult Maya's books for ailments or werewolf symptoms that involve yellow gleaming eyes
- ask Solace's help for the curses since that’s more their specialty than Ophelia’s skill at dispelling charms
- see if Pandolf has anything in his Fey school books
Ezra instructs Feynmann to let Rilke know that we're involved & will report back tonight.
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A few seconds after Feynmann strides off, Storm realizes that Feynmann is probably the only deep gnome who’s currently available for a gossip sesh about John Magpie! With his long legs Storm easily overtakes Feynmann & starts fishing: he describes John Magpie’s current black-and-white coloring and mentions John was recently seen around the dry docks, maybe to repair a ship…? It takes Feynmann a while, but eventually he remembers:
A few centuries back, there was a lovely deep gnome couple living and working in the mines: Magpella and his wife Shawa. Magpella worked for the tribe as a guide for the followers of Clíodhna who want to descend into the depths of the mine where the Lady of the Veil’s veil between the mortal world and the underworld is thinner.
Their little cave hole was a lovely and warm home, where they frequently sheltered, fostered and even adopted lost souls. If Feynmann remembers correctly, Shawa used to smile that not all those who wander, are lost. If she was a full-time home maker, she must have been one of the best, because her coffee klatsches are still remembered, in a sort of vague more-proverbial-than-factual sense.
Alas, all good things come to an end: Shawa died & unfortunately Magpella fell apart. He went a bit funny & abandoned everything in the mine and even in town. He ran away to join the navy, if you can believe it!
If he survived and he was the guy in the dry docks, he must still be a seafaring deep gnome, odd as it is. Feynmann supposes it’s possible Magpella is bringing the blessings of the Lady of the Veil to the water dwellers, maybe?
Storm thanks him for the info & reassures him we’re always following different strands and inclinations at the same time. There’s no indication that Magpella or even the deep gnomes are directly involved in anything we’re investigating. With a relieved nod, Feynmann gives a parting remark: “perhaps some of Magpella’s fosters or adoptees still live in the mine?”.
Storm jogs back to our crew & reports rather bluntly about Magpie's past. Storm seems very invested that Ezra might possibly find people who could be considered their older siblings, in a very weird and messed up way. Ezra just pats his hand till he calms down a bit.
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Meanwhile Ophelia realizes Mi'Kal invited us all to the lunch, at noon, today, as in “see you in 2 hours”, Ophelia panics that she didn't prepare any new songs & doesn't have any new clothes. For a second, Ezra wonders why Ophelia is behaving like this: could it be retail therapy for a broken heart? Is she planning to test that old chestnut "the best way to get over one guy is to get under another guy"? Naaaaah, Ezra figures Ophelia can't be that self-destructive & encourages her: treat yoself!
Ophelia rushes ahead of us in order to check out the Eladrin boutiques in town. Given Ophelia is a half-elf, the sales ladies are willing to help her out with a rush order even though they’ve only just barely opened the doors to their boutique. An age-old dance of compliments, negotiations and barely veiled insults starts:
- The sales ladies keep suggesting a lot of fur and winter motifs embroidered in white and blue thread with pearls and ice-like gems (since The Vale is colder, and corresponds to the winter area of the Fey Wild)
- Ophelia keeps dimpling that she’s more of a spring type (according to the Saree Style Quiz anyway), it’s her human half undoubtedly
- The sales ladies gently point out that Ophelia is lucky that her figure fits the Eladrin designs which are better suited to the leaner, lither figures Eladrin typically have, you know
- Ophelia keeps adapting her shape, just to make sure that the designs actually fit, and can withstand the shifts and running and adventures we too often find ourselves in
Eventually Ophelia is satisfied: she’ll be dazzling, but like that’s just how she looks. She isn’t even trying hard, you know?
With a sophisticated smile, the lead sales lady requests 50 gold as the total cost for the designs, the alterations and the rush job. As soon as she goes to pay, Ophelia notices she doesn't have enough money. She pretends she's been pickpocketed, how horrible, could it have happened in the changing rooms?? Alas, due to a NATURAL ONE the lady notices it's a lie. With a thinner smile now, the sales lady wraps up the clothes and whisks them away behind the counter: “they'll be here for you till end of day, as soon as you find your money”.
With her head held high, Ophelia leaves the store. She’ll have to catch up with Hali, and the sooner the better! Outside, Ophelia spots Simeon loitering around. His wounds have been bound and the blood cleaned off his clothes, but he still looks exhausted and beat. He doesn't see her & with her head held low, Ophelia slinks away unnoticed.
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Storm and El decide to head to the clinic to ask Solace for advice. In the middle of the day, Solace is bound to be volunteering at the clinic again.
We run the gauntlet of the receptionist, again. Storm takes the lead and talks himself, his friend El and their therapy swan Bella Swan past Mary, the slightly dour receptionist.
We find Solace working on a complicated open fracture. When ready, Solace calls us to the back. We explain Sloane's symptoms, but they can't really pinpoint what's going on. They figure it might be some sort of possession: we're close to the Fey Wild after all. When El asks for an example, Solace explains it’s hard to tell. It could be
- A powerful Fey
- A skilled Eladrin
- Just any of a rather long list of monstrous creatures
- oh or even a fiend.
Solace also theorizes that the yellow gleam might point to the eyes of the possessing creature in some way. Storm tries to beam into El's mind that we know a yellow-eyed Cambion, aka Virgil! The last info Solace can give us, is that a good bit of violence might wake up the possessed person, either in part or fully.
Mission complete, we take a moment for some small talk: Storm inquires if Solace received his note about missing them during the performance in the Iron Oar and cheerfully acknowledges that it’s understandable Solace would prefer to sleep after a long day in the clinic. Maybe another time or maybe another occasion? Storm offers them an invigorating massage, but when El starts sputtering, Storm sheepishly admits that his friends have determined it could count as a form of torture, so maybe that’s not the best plan… In the end, they settle for a three-way hug with Bella Swan. The white feathers, Solace’s marshmellowy embrace, Storm’s gentler side, the elegantly long and surprisingly muscled neck curving around our shoulders… it’s definitely restorative!
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Hali and Ezra take Aqueel along to Ghorann's store for magical sundries. There are a few people buying lotions and notions. Their purchases complete, they leave till the store is empty.
Maya is a bit antsy still, over Lucerne’s warning that someone is looking to buy poisons. What if the guy gives up on making a purchase above board & settles on a more nefarious approach? Ezra reassures her that it's been taken care of.
Continuing on, Ezra explains El's observations. Maya gives the same info Solace did, but also mentions that the mines are close to the world of the dead according to Clíodhna's followers. It might be a ghost or a spirit from the underworld.
Ezra explains that we know Virgil, a yellow-eyed Cambian & continues asking about the time factor Sloane mentioned... Given El’s calculation that the full moon is 3 or 4 nights away, it would seem to be related to the werewolf, right? Maya is stressed: the werewolf can call up a devil or an inferni, to obtain a favor or to ask for help with his wounds… based on the lore in her books, she thinks it’s possible the werewolf is shacking up with one or more of those creatures, waiting for something, perhaps for the full moon?
With the help of Hali's compendium & Baaloo, Maya recognizes Virgil as a Cambian, a half-devil. She knows they're charming & capable of mind-control, and they're able to move freely between our plan and Hell. Ezra wonders if maybe Virgil got hurt too & is hiding for the moment?
Maya feels we should warn the authorities & Ezra promises it's on our to-do list.
Maya offers a potion that might give some protection against being charmed. She'll start brewing, being the local alchemist.
She also mentions she has bad news about the bag of holding (which she figured is for us, after she saw us with her client Jacob Saree during the show at the Iron Oar): even though Mi'Kal confirmed in his letter that he'd help with the enchantments, now he's changed his mind & told her he can't help anymore. He didn't even seem to remember his promise in his letter.
Ezra compares the pay stub from the carpet, the letter is definitely written in Mi'Kal's handwriting. Ezra and Maya figure we should ask Mi'Kal's help, he might do it for us.
Before they leave, Hali asks for a recipe book that will work with her herbalist kit. Maya promises she'll look into it & gather some notes. She's eager to work on it.
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Ophelia catches up with Hali & wheedles some money out of her. When Hali grumbles she's not a piggy bank, Ophelia grins Hali could be, if she wanted to! Hali sighs and gives Ophelia another 50 gold.
Ophelia returns to the shop & has to eat a little humble pie:
- Sales lady: we’re so glad you were able to recover your stolen money so quickly
- Ophelia: well, I was too embarrassed to admit I just misplaced my money
- Sales lady: oh, you were economically challenged while in our store! Well, there's a first for everything, and we thank you for the thrill and for your business. Now we're all settled, please come again soon.
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Storm & El see Reva on a delivery run for her father. She waves over El: “are you still interested in having my father work on your sword? I gather you might leave soon & it's my only chance to work on something special like that. If you have another void stone, or a sunstone, we can fit it into the pommel, you know. It won’t fully awaken your sword, that’s beyond our skill, but it’ll be stronger than it is now, how can you say no to that?”.
At first, El rebuffs her: “we have the power of friendship, Reva, you should know you can’t underestimate us”! El makes it clear that they’re not just talking about their friendship with Storm and Ezra and Madonna and Hali and Fy-Ophelia and Baaloo and Bella Swan: the sword talks to El, and that’s a special bond outsiders can’t understand.
Rolling her eyes, Reva figures that’s some crazy coocoo figure of speech, but if El is so attached to the sword, she’s sure her father can organize a small stool somewhere in out of the way in the smithy so El can sit and stare at what they do.
El isn’t immediately convinced but seems willing to think it over.
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The short walk back to the rest of the crew seems to have been long enough for El to ponder Reva’s suggestions. When we meet up again, El turns to Hali to ask if she’d consider a trade: their void stone for the sunstone. Mystical energies swirl about the stones & El notices a sense of trepidation from the sword. They touch the sword & read into the sword's thoughts:
Use the power you have available, power that once belonged to one of my own. Don't forget you're mine too. As long as the angel lives, your blade will never be sated.
When the voice picks up that El is wondering about putting in the sunstone, there's a feeling of instant rage:
Don't desecrate the vessel I created, don't be like that angel!
El shudders & thanks Hali for her willingness... but they need to meditate and pray over this decision. Hali agrees that we'll revisit this, she's ready whenever El wants to talk again. El finds a quiet corner & sinks into the Soliman rituals their parents taught them. It takes a while to reach that quiet place within, because they haven't taken the time recently. A voice wells up: is it El’s mother, or their own subconscious, or an actual divine presence?
What happens to the gentle protector I watched over in the gentle light of home? You're not just a play thing in the hands of the gods. We want the best for you, just as you want the best for others, so follow that you think is right. You make your own choices & I'll always be there to guide you with what light I can offer you.
Comforted by this moment of reflection, El's resolution coalesces: they're going to choose the void stone.
Ophelia is marveling about her new clothes: so expensive but oh so soft. Hali agrees it was 50 gold well spent & Storm compliments Ophelia’s selection as fit for the stage but practical enough for the streets! Ezra is glad Ophelia's glad: may she use the experience to learn the price of everything and the value of nothing, or something like that.
El states their decision to choose the void stone & follow Lunaire. In the silence that follows, Hali nods and puts the sunstone away again.
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We decide to head to our room, where we can (hopefully) report and brainstorm without being overheard. In our room we compare notes about our discoveries & brief Ophelia.
Since both groups figured Virgil is involved (he came to The Vale to attack the Wandering Isle after all), we debate if we should use the totem to contact Virgil. El wonders what we can do to get a reaction. Maybe if they wipe their bum with the totem? Storm and Ophelia egg El on: “put the totem down your pants”! Ezra and Hali stare in mounting horror, but El waves the suggestion away.
Ophelia states that we have no leverage & the totem isn't valuable enough to convince him to trade, but she could try to lie to the Cambion…? Storm is the most vocal about the worry we all feel: is it really safe to put Ophelia in harm’s way like that? Feeling the same trepidation, Hali jumps in, reminding Ophelia she owes Hali a serious amount of gold, so according to the pirate code it’s impolite to die before you pay back your debts!
Eventually, we settle down and decide we’ll just have to brainstorm an airtight plan to enable Ophelia to lie convincingly! Ophelia shrugs, grabs the totem and without waiting starts channeling Virgil for an improvised séance. We all hold our breath to be as quiet as possible during Ophelia's tour-de-force lies:
- Ophelia: are you there, Virgil? It’s me, Margaret, I mean Ophelia, I mean Fyllion.
- Virgil: geez, I forgot you had that thing
- O: how else would I talk to you? I’d never throw this away
- V: you want to talk in front of your friends?
- O: they went away, they're all mad at me
- V: do I sound like I care? Would you like me to vivisect you? I'm busy!
- O: well, you seemed to appreciate me more than my crew ever did, so I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine
- V: well, I do need something... what do you suggest, what do you want in return for what I'm going to ask you?
- O: your previous offers about magical favours or turning me into a warlock might be interesting in the future, but right now I want info about the person we're seeking & the wandering isle
- V: you keep delighting me, with your cluelessness and the cheap price you’ll sell out for. Anyway, yes, I can give you that information in exchange for my favor. We can meet up, I figure we're both in The Vale, right? I can always find the Isle as soon as the angel moves it, but he knows that I know, so it's very hard to anticipate his moves & ambush him. I lured him here and it worked, it was brilliant, but turns out he was warned, and there was someone else attacking, that trice-damned hag!
- O: a hag??
- V: it’s just a woman with another black sword like your friend El
- O: oh, you meant it as a derogatory term, not a species specification
- V: anyway, as I was saying, my ambush didn't work out & I'm not at my best, so I need some time to recover, esp. with that disgusting werewolf around, so contact me after the full moon. I'm hanging out in the deep gnome mine. So now it’s your turn: ingratiate yourself to him again. He owes you anyway, he got you killed, after all. Sure, it was at my hand, but we’re agreeing to let bygones be bygones between us, right? So, convince him to tell you where he’s headed whenever he’s leaving Crescent Cove. That place is too inaccessible and well-defended, so you’ll have to rat him out in order for me to set up a proper ambush
- O (stammering a little): okay
- V: oh yeah, one last thing: if you can’t use the totem to talk to me, you can also appeal to the crows all over town. When they have red eyes, they’re under my influence & spying for me.
- O (stammering a bit more): okay
As soon as Ophelia is certain the connection has been broken, she shares everything with us. As we ponder this new information in silence, we hear Wendy greet Mi'Kal in the tap room downstairs: “hello sweetie, are you here to pick up your friends for the lunch with your parents? Lucerne’s been telling me about all the delicacies she’s been preparing. Italian Wedding Soup, I hear?”.
Storyline
Previously: session 38 When did Ezra sign up to be the dad to a bunch of teenagers and chaos gremlins?
Up next: session 40
