Previous Session Recap
- everyone heads to Crestin for the Millennium Tourney
- Emmeline Windgale and Macheath Longfellow are tasked with forming a party to help the kingdom after the tourney
- Prince Rowan falls unconscious after losing a joust with Celethorn
- Celethorn is arrested
Main Quest
Reminder of the main quest here
Side Quest
Reminder of the side quest(s) here
Session Notes
Millennium Tournament
Celethorn has just been arrested
Ayana stepped between celethorn and the guards 5 strength saving throw
14 insight check
Kingsguard approach Celethorn, they look at me and go into muscle memory. 7 different guards locked in on me. Celethrorn grabs my arm and throws me to the side
Colum catches me and tells me to shut up
Emmeline watches as celethorn is bound, group perception check NAT 20
Moss hears voice in their head “oh interesting.” hasn’t heard that voice many times before
Moss and Emmeline see - guards taking celethorn off the field towards the castle. There’s a great murmuring of drama, lots of yelling from the crowd. Unsure of the truth. Retinue is all surprised. Emmeline follows guards and Celethorn, asks him “do you need me to tell prince rowan anything?” Ser Edmund clocks her, says “stay here, do not come with us”. E: “can I walk with you a little longer?” Nat 1 persuasion, no response, they keep marching and Edmund glares at her, she realizes the social implications of this (like talking to Oswald after JFK is shot), turns to see Mac
Ayana: I see a few elves of the retinue slink away, they’re back by the bleachers 3-4 elves, opposite direction of castle 14 insight I see them turn and they get lost in the crowd. Mac is coming back with spiralized potatoes. I want to follow the elves and try to get moss to come with me 12 initiative
Moss moves closer to me, closes gap, sees Colum holding me
NAT 20 ATHLETICS to get out of grapple, I have height advantage and slip out of his arms, pushing him onto the ground. I see prince rowan has been picked up and is being brought to the castle. King points at me and people in the crowd while talking to the bishop 7 perception I hear “question” and “runners” Bishop with knights are approaching me
I point “they’re being suspicious, they had something to do with it, give me leave to follow” 12 persuasion bishop - “take them in, if they run, arrest them. If they don’t run, bring them to me”
Colum is unprepared for this political theater, puts himself in between me and the bishop with 3 guards, wants to question the retinue of celethorn, not under arrest unless you run.
Bishop does holy magic, casts spell 15 wisdom saving throw I recognize as zone of truth, the caster will know if I try to resist 6 charisma saving throw feeble attempt at trying to resist. Can feel tongue begin to betray my will, cannot speak a deliberate lie within circle
Name: Ayana
Member of retinue: yes
Why here: father and I are blacksmiths and family friends, here to tend to armour and weapons
15 insight check
See stony expression across bishop’s face
Was I in charge of preparing jousting: no, i assisted my father as I hadn’t done it myself before / colum: lance was made of wood, we weren’t in charge of it
Aware of plot to kill prince: no
What malady ailed the prince that I healed: I wasn’t aware of any specific malady, i just wanted to save him
What happened after you healed him: Prince Rowan’s breathing steadies, Still breathing hard, grabs his heart - eyes bulge out and he collapses
Don’t know what agent it was: yes
Do I think it was the lance: don’t want to presume but it’s likely that’s how it entered his bloodstream
Free to go, highly advise caution
Colum: we have to go, ushers me toward bleachers
“I need to meet my friends and make sure they aren’t judged too harshly, I will meet you back at the cart”
Mac sees some guards pinning elves down, looks over to weird little wizard guy (gnorman)
Gnorman is terrified of Mac and says nothing
Emmeline: good you’ve met, can I trust you with a secret, they both said yes
Mac: “My knight was friends with her knight”
Emmeline: “yes, I wanted you two to meet, and gnorman for you to come on a quest with us”
Moss: trying to stay out of the zone of truth
Ayana tries to indicate Mossto go over to Mac and stay there 7 persuasion vs 16 insight she sees Mac over there and slowly backs over to him, blends into the crowd
We meet up for the first time
Mac tells me about the quest
Introduced to Emmeline and Gnorman, I’m a little hostile - other things i’m worried about
Emmeline mentions that G can’t walk up stairs,
We see guards bringing elves they tackled up to the bishops, we are shuffled away
Walking towards the blacksmith cart as a group
Colum runs up to me to ask what’s happening, offers to make tea and grab refreshments for us
Vibe at the tournament is off, all of the events are cancelled. Hear gossip and speculation about what happened
Emmeline 18 perception check against Ayana 18 check trying to figure out if A can be trusted, A has a similar relationship to the accused as E does to the harmed
“I feel worry for Celethorn, don’t want to leave Colum alone, want to keep Moss out of it, mostly a need to help celethorn and find out who did this”
Emmeline and I step aside to talk about it. Emmeline thinks the queen might be behind this as she knew about their affair and didn’t want it, anyone else that would want Celethorn dead?
“I just traveled with these people for 2 weeks, didn’t get to talk to everyone but I can’t imagine that he would employ anyone he didn’t trust.” 14 history check most of the people there were to convey grandeur, Colum and I were the only ones that had any interaction with the armour and weapons. I didn’t see anyone interact with the lance.”
Colum asks Tall Gnorman to light the campfire, he uses firebolt hilariously
“If anything was done to the lance, it had to have been done before they left Vardomina. I didn’t see anyone doing any maintenance on them.”
E: “this isn’t a petty act, it’s been done to cause political unrest. They either want my cousin or your uncle dead”
Big horn goes off at Apex gate of Crestin, wizard at the gate, magically amplified: the prince rowan has fallen into a slumber with which he is unable to awaken. Any attempts to heal him of this odd ailment have come up short, even from the grand bishop of the sun cathedral. From the King: a reward has been placed to any that can find a way to awaken the prince, whoever finds a way will be granted with land, a castle, a barony in Heath. Be it a healer or a relic of some type, one person will be awarded. I wish you all luck and speed. For the prince and the royal family.” knights start running back to their camps to set off on the quest
Ayana grabs Emmeline’s arm and start pushing through the crowd to find out what’s happened to Celethorn, the others follow us and we walk up to the gate.
(livery from earlier loyal to magnorum, gray eagle on black background)
Tense atmosphere, 2 20 ft high double doors are open, framed by stone rampart with bright shining sun carved into the gate. We are flanked by city guards, not a usual occurrence as townsguard are normally knights from the area
The reward is very grand and unheard of, baronies are only given out based on bloodline
Bailey square, marked district once we go through the gate
Emmeline knows the boys were brought to Castle Hollis, the city guard is busy with the chaos, but not overwhelmed. Would be difficult to get past the yard where the city guard is.
We hang back while E walks up to a guard that she knows, Farrian, “we don’t know much the grand bishop came in and then left, seems like there was nothing they could do. Even the lord Magister came through but he’s still there. Whatever is afflicting him isn’t magical by nature. The prisoner was brought down to the dungeons.”
Would Emmeline know that this could lead to war? There hasn’t been for thousands of years but there are tensions at the isthmus. Delicate political situation. The royal family cannot do nothing in this situation (they’ve arrested Celethorn, that’s what they can do)
“They’re not letting anyone into the castle unless the king says so”
17 insight into Emmeline saying that she’ll go in and find out what she can and meet us back at the cart in the morning. I see conviction on her face, total commitment to find out what happened. I look into her eyes and nod and turn back to the group. Emmeline goes into the castle.
Ayana turns to everyone and ask them if they want to go on the quest to save the prince. Mac and Gnorman are in, Moss hears a voice “very interesting, lands and titles, and most importantly a NAME” She doesn’t want to, knows everyone would be better off without her but wants to do it for my sake.
G has access to the library here, Mac knows people that will have plans on what to do, I have connections to the blacksmith guild, Moss knows best places to get a drink here
Emmeline enters the castle and heads towards where the prince is, goes into the keep towards royal rooms, there are guards all along the way. 4 captains at the portcullis into the keep, all 4 are ball busters, decides to push all emotion aside and stick to facts
Writes note to the king “please allow me entry to swear an oath to my beloved rowan that I will find a cure or die trying.” A page comes to bring it to him. She waits for an answer, sweating rivulets under her armour
Sun has set, this is the most exciting thing to happen in a LONG time, everyone is gossiping, tons of speculation as we walk back towards the cart, Moss and I go to find rations for travels, Mac and G head to the library to look for books on healing
NW of Hollisen is Arcanade - G is trying to stealth to avoid boss, Wizard Polo, would’ve been relieved overnight. Conjured towers and buildings fused together at the bottom like a large tree. Library is in a brutalist style building known as “The Shelf”
Walk up spiral stairs to the front desk, there are more people than usual, coworker Brevin is at the desk. Lots of interest in tomes of healing, that’s why we’re so busy.
Gnorman tries to get into The Lock for special books, asks for best buddy insider info. G agrees to cover his shift tomorrow to get access. Brevin has a hot date tomorrow. Gives key to G, walks over to small unassuming closet and unlocks it “used to be a smooching closet. I’m not covering that guys shift tomorrow.”
Finds book of mythology, but is running out of time. Swaps the book with one that he already has “old bestiary book, exact same color as the one he took.”
Emmeline: waiting for 20 minutes then hears word. Gets handed a bit of parchment, not king’s seal but boud with a ribbon. Written in hand of aide to the king “though we appreciate your worry for the royal prince and his highness, there will be no visitors until at least the morrow. Signed lord steward Perrian Kissel.”
Gives curt nod to the captains, thanks them and leaves
“For what it’s worth, the runner has brought your letter to the prince’s chamber so he will see it upon waking”
E looks for most gossipy servant, find young servant girl that you’ve befriended and she looks up to you, Cerrian
“So many things have happened today, were you there?” “yes” “how dreadful, you and the prince are inseparable, why would they not let you in” “i’m not anyone important” “i’m not important but they let me in through the back door”
Cerrian helps E doff her armour so she doesn’t clank around. Leaves it out of the way. (no longer rolling stealth with disadvantage) pass by without disrupting anything. Makes way to prince’s quarters without being caught.
The queen is sitting with Rowan, she’s laying in bed. What can the queen do, she’s about to leave on this quest. Drops into low bow to try to appease the queen, queen looks at her with venom. E: “i only wish to say goodbye before i head out on the same quest as all the kingdom’s knights” the queen allows her to say goodbye. “What has been done today is going to have far-reaching consequences for possibly the rest of our lives. If he cannot be woken, I hope you know what this would mean for you.”
Emmeline takes small pocketbook from a desk as she’s leaving “what if there are gay love poems in here”
Sees marks on the wall near the kitchen, tallies, maybe a game or keeping track of something, there are 7 tallies. Wonder about lives of people that pass these halls and how many people have had to scurry away from the queen.
NPCs This Session
Summary