MAGICAL RESTORATION COMPLICATION SITUATION

When Zaron opens the portal and you step through, you can immediately sense the change in the air--the humidity and warmth of late spring near the seaside.

You have portaled into a stone room about 20'x 20.' It is fairly empty except for runes just about everywhere and animal bones, horseshoes, and various other items hanging on the wall to apparently help with good luck and to repel evil.

"This is our portal laboratory," Zaron says.

The room is large, he explains, in case they need to portal in large items. In this case, he has the handcart he has been pulling, along with all of you.

He leads you through large stone doors into a laboratory. (There are two sets of double doors, one leading to the laboratory, and one heavily wizard locked that leads outside.)

"Please don't touch anything," he says as you walk between beakers, open tomes, liquids of all colors, specimen jars holding all sorts of body parts from creatures, a wall of ingredient jars, and so forth. The room itself is about 20' x 40' long, a truly large laboratory.

Zaron leads you past the laboratory, through another door, and into a much more humble abode. There is a fireplace, bearskins, sofas, and of course more tomes on the wall.

"My master Azaron is not here at the moment," Zaron says. "Last I heard, he was helping Lord Handon's minister of justice in some criminal thing or another. Whenever you want, we can head out to the temple nearby that I mentioned. I think they can restore magic to your items that was lost in your recent misadventures."

"I would like to try to restore the portable hold at your earliest convenience." Tahldar replies to Zaron.  "There were many things it contained I'd like to recover.  Plus the item itself is just so useful."

You make your way out of Zaron's home/lab and into the city. It feels so strange to see a bustling city full of people.

You notice that the city is built over rock and water, thus protecting the people from the scourge affecting the outside, but also giving little room for the city to grow outward.



Zaron's lab is on the eastern part of the city. He leads your group north through the streets to some sort of temple (the yellow circle with a cross).

Inside, he introduces you to the lead cleric: Herrendon. When Herrendon hears your plight and desire to restore the magic to your weapons and items, he nods thoughtfully and brings you toward the back of the chapel area to an inner sanctum.

Inside this brick enclosed room is a large tub about 15 feet long by 8 feet wide. The tub is filled with an incandescent orangish fluid that appears to glow slightly from within.

Herrendon addresses you: "As you know, magic is dangerous, and can be used for good or ill. We will restore magic to your items but require something in return. You may choose among two options."

He gestures to the temple and its majesty, with many golden walls and ornate statues. "The first option is that you pay 1000 of His Majesty's gold--none of that other kingdom gold, mind you, but something we can spend for upkeep for our good deeds--and you must take a vow. What that vow will be will only be revealed through prayers of our priests, and we cannot make the prayers until we have your promise of a vow."

He looks at you in turn. "The second option is that you will perform a favor for our priests. This will entail attending a party at the castle, gathering information, and perhaps helping quell an evil, if our suspicions are right."

He spreads his hands. "What say you?"

NOTE: Feel free to discuss among yourselves here. The temple will feed you dinner as you decide whether to take either or none of these options.

Tahldar walks along the city and feels out of place.  It's been some time since he's been in any sort of civilization.  But it heartens him to see others going about relatively normal lives and that perhaps that could be his life again someday.

He enters the temple and joins Herrendon and listens to what he has to say.

Tahldar takes a quick measure of his funds and realizes he has very little in the way of gold and quite likely what he does have is not the type being requested for.  Plus he doesn't like the idea of take a mysterious vow.

"Unless someone steps forward and can pay the gold, I think we'll take option number two.  As I recall the majority of our funds were in the portable hole, which sadly is now closed."

Herrendon indicates the pool of orange incandescent fluid in the giant tub. "This liquid was brought here from the Source of Magic itself. If we put any object in here, it will either restore a lost magic or gain a new magic. Because the magic is wild, we do not recommend trying it out in the latter method, as it can be as enigmatic as wishes gone awry. But in any case, if we put your items immersed in this--what we call the Milk of Magic--then in about three days' time, the magic will be restored. This includes accessing your portable hole once more."

He waits to see if Tahldar's course is what everyone wants, and if so, he will tell you the deed he needs done.

Shae agrees with Tahldar's plan. "It's been awhile since I attended a party," she muses, wondering what she will wear.

Since it appears you will be taking the party route, Herrendon explains further:

The King of this kingdom is King Lombard. The party is an engagement party for the King's second son, Prince Romalus. His bride-to-be is Esther, daughter of King Zheklah in the neighboring kingdom, which is set upon smaller rock yet desirable as an ally.

The party is in two days. I will procure a schedule for you.

Your party will enter as attendant guards--extra security, in other words. You will need to wear garb provided to you, which will mean no armor. You may only carry with you one melee weapon, no bows, crossbows, or anything like that. And the melee weapon must be sheathed at all times.

Prior to the party, you will be able to meet the bride to introduce yourselves. They want everyone's face to be recognizable so there will be no strangers present to create suspicion. You will also have about one minute with the prince. Prior to your meeting, our temple representative will tell them that you are there on a special mission to ensure nothing out of ordinary happens--special emissaries, if you will. Therefore, they may confide in you.

Here is what we need you to do at the party:

First, of course, you must protect the prince and princess. The king will surely have every member of the guard put to death if harm comes to them. He is not light on punishment, which we will get to in a moment.

Second, keep your eye out for anything suspicious, and mingle politely with guests who seem to be worth talking to.

Third, and this is where it gets tricky, if you can get info on the king's state of health, we would like that. If he is suffering from some illness, we may be able to help him with our healing, but remember it is treason to speak of the king as dying or of his death. Also,  although he is normally kind and thinks of his people, i dare say that lately he has been aggressive, has increased executions, and many report that he has been moody and withdrawn. We are concerned for him but cannot do much directly to help. Please investigate what is going on. You will be given mostly free reign of the castle, but you must obey any Sergeant of Arms or higher in rank, as well as anyone of noble birth.

Shae says, a bit disappointed, "I suppose if we are glorified security guards, we will have to wear a uniform. Hopefully, we will get to taste the food." She is ready and helps put any items out there to regain their magic.

I'm going to assume no further discussions wanted with Herrendon.

He bids you good day, and will send for you on the morrow.

Zaron takes you aside as you walk back to his place.

"This reception will be attended by many important people. And by this, I mean members of the Syndicate or their lackies will be there to pay respects, I think. You can use this chance to find out more about who they are and where you can find them. And also maybe the location and identity of artifacts in their possession. Of course, you will have to be sly and wise with words to draw that out."

Anything in town you want to do or purchase before the next day?
Spellcasters: think of any spells you want to prepare, but also remember the new rules to give you more flexibility.

As you can see from the map, there are two castles in the city. The smaller one to the southeast is the one where the reception will be held. The king normally stays in the more fortress-like large castle in the center, but this one is good for pleasantries and parties.

You are given a map of Lombard Castle:



You are to arrive at 6:00 p.m., at which time you will be given a tour and will meet some of the royal guests, including the betrothed couple.

Guests will be allowed in starting at 7:00 p.m. Your duty will start then. You will not be assigned a station, but may wander about looking for signs of danger or security breach.

(Zaron, who will not be attending, says you should try to engage the guests and anyone else to get info about the Syndicate, its members, and what artifacts each has.)

The reception will then proceed as follows:

8:00: Banquet begins (guests will dine in the Great Hall and servants will dine in the Servant Hall)

9:30: The King arrives to greet the guests.

10:00: The couple can meet for the first time formally in the "Precoupling Ceremony." Dancing and merriments begin.

12:00: Guests depart

A dwarf is brought to you by Herrondon. "This is Kromram Steelbane, also a veteran warrior like yourselves. He will accompany you."

Tahldar nods Harrondon as he looks the map over.

"Well met." he says to Kromram.  "Do you have any experience with parties like this?" he asks of the warrior.

Kromram is unremarkable looking for a dwarf, of average height and build with dark hair. You can see he is starting to get a little age on him judging by the grey wisps in his hair and tidy beard.

He nods politly in return, ''well met. No, nothing on this scale anyhow. But you needn't worry, I'm plenty capable.'' Kromram smiles reassuringly, though the smile seems a bit forced. ''So where do you want me Mr...''Kromram gently waves his hand, prompting Tahldar to introduce himself.

While waiting for Tahldar, Shae says, "My name is Shae Shadowglen. I am a druid, and yes, only half elf. I carry this ancestral spear of magic to honor my ancestors." Shae is dark haired and she clearly has elven features. She also looks very uncomfortable in the recent magical suit of armor found by the party, but she did go to have it altered and adjusted by the armorer, so now it is clearly more feminine and lets her have more freedom of movement.

The only other thing Shae wants to do before they start is take a long, hot bath and brush up on the skills she hasn't used in awhile.

Whenever you guys are ready, I can advance this. ONce we get moving, I'd love to make it fast-paced, as this has mystery elements I wouldn't want to get stale.

I think Kromram is finishing up the character sheet. Not sure who else is definitely still here. I may deprecate Kahan to staying out if he is not active. Borimer's player also expressed interest in coming back if RL gets easier.

You return on Saturday to Herrendon at the temple. Next to him is the king's Commander of the Guard, Percival.

He doesn't care what armor you wear, but you must wear the royal blue and red cape, boots and gloves that mark you as one of the chosen guards for the ceremonies. You each also receive a clasp with the sun breaking out from behind the moon, which is the symbol of the king.

Percival says:

"Here is your schedule. Arrive at 7:00. You will meet the bride, Esther, at 7:00 and the groom, Romalus, at 7:15, for a brief discussion. Zaron mentioned your exploits to me, and when I mentioned it to them, they were each impressed, and they may have specific tasks for you to watch out for during the party.

At 7:30, guests will arrive in the gatehouse. You will be standing at the inner ward area to watch for anything amiss. The guests arriving are all of extremely high rank in the nobility, in their wealth and power, or in magic, and all are highly honored by the king. Therefore, treat them with the greatest kindness or you will find yourselves thrown out into the moat for the alligators.

At 8:00, the primary feasting begins. You will have leave to wander around the castle grounds to look for anything suspicious. Given the high notoriety and caste of people in attendance, everyone is on high alert. You will have my lieutenant, Garand, to help escort and guide you...and yes, be your babysitter since you are not known in these parts but come highly recommended by Zaron and Herrendon.

At 11:00, the festivities end. The septon arrives and the wedding is held at exactly 11:30, with all guests directed to leave by midnight.

There are a few rules:

Rule 1: Ensure no harm comes to the gardens, the livestock, or the fresh water. In these troubled times with the Angry Earth curse, nothing is more precious than food sources.

Rule 2: Ensure no harm comes to the royal family or their guests, and investigate any potential threats.

Rule 3: We understand that some guests are a bit notorious, but we must abide by the law of the king and ensure no harm comes to them regardless of our thoughts about the. If there is any crime committed, they must be apprehended peacefully. There will be no violence except in self-defense.

Any questions?"


NOTE: This is an adventure that could have many different endings. It is the least scripted of any I have ever given you, so things could go very well, very badly, or somewhere in between.

You arrive at the castle early, change into your appropriate uniforms, and take your favorite weapon. (Remember, only one weapon is allowed per guard.) Your weapon is checked and catalogued. This way, every weapon is accounted for within the castle walls.

You notice one thing right away. The uniforms of soldiers denote rank:

Percival, as commander of the guard, is in full regalia:

Percival: blue and red cape, matching boots and gloves, epaulettes, ribbon mounts and badges, matching helmet and full regalia.

Percival looks something like this:


You: As visitors, you have only the cape, boots and gloves

Low level Guards: They have the boots, gloves, helmet, and a red and blue drape over a breastplate.

Percival introduces you to Antoine. He is dressed identically to Percival but without the epaulettes.

Antoine is very polite and formal. "I shall be assisting you as needed," he says. "I will take you from room to room. If you have questions or concerns, I will do my best to answer."

Seeing you are all here, Percival excuses himself to attend to duties. "Shall we?" Antoine says, extending an arm to lead you to meet the bride.

NOTE: I am hoping we have enough players. We have a new joiner skilled in roguish arts, an elf named Mallisar, and a warrior named Kromram. I think we also have with us Tahldar, Shae, and Renakaris. I think we have lost Kahan. I actually think we could use 1 or 2 more, so if anyone joins (old or new), we can easily add them in.

With that said, I want to get this going full speed ahead since there have been many delays. I will try to keep clues and info in the separate thread, but please make your own list and notes. This is part mystery, part investigation, with some action and use of skills. There is no set ending. i see at least 4 or 5 different ways this could go, good or bad.

You enter from the south. Antoine leads you to the right (east) and up some stairs to the guest quarters and private chapel.



An elegant room is decorated. When you enter, you see the princess sitting on a divan while being waited on by a lady in waiting.

With her are two guards from her own kingdom. They are dressed in Green and yellow uniforms. She excuses them to talk with you privately. Only her lady in waiting remains in the room. The Princess introduces her as Anne.

Princess Esther is about 20 years old--a brown haired human. She is informally dressed currently, though her hair is made up elaborately in preparation for the wedding. A wedding dress hangs on a nearby manakin.

She looks you over for a moment. "I hear you are brought as special watchguards," she says. "And so I need to warn you of a concern I have."

She nods to her lady in waiting, who closes the door and stands near it so no one will overhear. Then the princess leans in to talk confidentially to you in a low voice.

"Prince Romalus is an only child and I am the only daughter of my father. Thus, it makes political sense for us to be married. King Lombard never before decided on an alliance, so it came out of the blue about 30 days ago. My father's kingdom is not as rich, but is a favorable strategic position. Again, this makes sense. I heard King Lombard was letting his son choose his own wife, but that would go against tradition anyway."

She takes a deep breath. "It is my duty to wed Prince Romalus for our two kingdoms, and I will do so, though I have never met him. But that is not the problem. You see, until this sudden 'arrangement,' I had my own love. His name is Jak. I immediately had to break it off with him. It was my duty. But he was not happy. He said if he could not have me, no one can, and he swore revenge. I don't know if he will be here or not, or if he will try something, but please keep an eye out. He can't be allowed to stop this wedding."
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:57, Fri 18 Nov 2022.

Tahldar arrives but carries no apparent weapon, relying on his bracers and spells if the need arrives to defend himself.  The elf is smartly dressed in his cape, boots and gloves.  He is glad for the new wardrobe as his old clothes had gotten thread bare and quite shabby.

He follows Antoine to princess Esther's room.  Tahldar looks the elegant room over and is reminded of the home he left behind.  Now certainly destroyed he will never see it again.

He approaches the princess and moves to speak, but hesitates.  Though he is aware of etiquette's formalities in such situations, he also knows that for some reason his personality can grate on people and he is loathe to start off on the wrong foot.

OOC:  Tahldar has the Etiquette skill but has a bad charisma.  He'll hold off to see if another character wants to start speaking first.

Malissar is new to both the city and this group, though he was happy to make their acquaintance. He too is not well versed in social situations, which is probably what led to his ouster from the elven communities to this ragtag city where everyone seems welcome.

His most noticeable feature is his piercing violet eyes, and he is extraordinarily tan for an elf. But the scar on his face is off-putting, and his voice is somewhat raspy and grating when he speaks.

He says, "We are happy to help, your Highness, or Grace, or whatever you want us to call you. But I have one question which I would have expected you to tell us straight off. How can we recognize this Jak? How do we know him when we see him?"

Shae steps forward to intervene on behalf of her companions.

As a half-elf, she enjoys the striking beauty of both races, the best of both worlds. Her eyes are arresting in their beauty, but also carry the authority that would rival any man. Before her tribe of druids was slaughtered and scattered, they had trained in the etiquette and courtesies of both races. (Charisma: 19)

"Your Grace, what my friend here means to say is that we want very much to help you in this matter. If you could please provide us every detail we might need to accomplish this for you, it would be greatly appreciated. Does this Jak have any distinguishing features? Tattoos? What is his height and hair color? Is he large or slim? Is he your age? Any details will help us protect you."

Princess Esther frowns at Malissar a moment butt nods. Upon Shae's questioning, she lightens up. "Yes, I see," she says. "Jak is about my age and complexion, average height. He shaves his head bald." She points to the left side of her neck. "He has a large mole right here on his neck." She pauses, thinking, "And when he talks, he overuses contractions. A slight bit banal and plebian for my tastes, but he is an excellent fighter and can drink most men under the table."

Like the other two, Kromram is not great at charm (CHA 9). He is a fighting man. He says, "So when you say he is good at fighting, just how good is he? There are a bunch of us against one. Does he have magic or something?"

Tahldar remains silent and lets the others speak.  Especially Shae who is clearly particularly skilled when speaking to aristocracy.

Adding to what Kromram said, Talhdar asks evenly "Princess Esther, in introductions my name is Tahldar.  This Jak, is there a particular weapon he prefers?"

Princess Esther listens to the questions and responds, with a knowing look at her lady in waiting, "He was asked to be captain of the guard, which would have made him the youngest ever. That's how good he is. And quite handsome, even with the mole. But he did not want to take the oath of chastity--obviously--and, well, his favored weapons are a dagger in one hand and longsword in the other. He is quite skilled with dual wielding.

"He is no spellcaster and has no magic, but he has resources. His family is the richest in my fief, and he has access to magical items. Perhaps more importantly, he has three close friends who will swear any allegiance he desires. Nom is a spellcaster. Angus is a stealthy roguish sort, and Librus is a fighter almost as good as Jak. They all shaved their heads as part of their group allegiance.

"Nom normally has striking red hair, but he shaved his head and face. He carries a want made of cedar, and his spellbook is quite small and portable. Angus does not have any striking features, but he is quick to anger and very defensive. He does have thick black eyebrows. And then Librus--well, he has several scars over his body from battles. I can't remember them all, but there were some on his back, a big one on his hand, and a large burn on his left--no, on his right--calf going all the way to his foot."

Kromram says, "When you say access to magical items, do you have any idea what items he has access to? What should we be on the lookout for?"

Princess Esther thinks for a moment. "I cannot say exactly what he has. His family has a chest where they keep magical items, so I do not think it will be anything very large. I do seem to recall something related to invisibility. Nom is a mage, so I am sure he must have something magic, though I would not know what. I do remember he was angered at me once and threatened to cast an irritation spell on me. Angus is a rogue and has several items that help him, including ventriloquism and things of illusion like something called audible glamer that creates noises. He is quite the show off. Some say he was a mummer in a former life. That is about all I know. His friends were not my friends."

There is a knock on the door, and a lady in waiting appears. "My Grace, we must prepare you for the ceremony. Time is short."

Princess Esther nods. She says to you, "I must perform my duties now. Please keep watch for these rascals. Jak would like nothing more than to make tonight a disaster."

You bow and leave. Lieutenant Antoine leads you out of the upper guest quarters. "We are off to see the Prince now. We do not have much time. Guests will be arriving before long."

NOTE: Please note the Clues thread which is separate from this. I will update it as you move along for easy reference.

You leave following the green path.

Your group is stopped at the inner ward. Percival brings another warrior guard to join your group. "This is Gaelin Tanner," he says. "He will be joining you."

You make brief introductions (you can do this on the side--just saving time here) and continue up the stairs and to room directly opposite where the princess room was at (this time on the west side).


The design of the Prince's room is exactly the same as the princess, though it is masculine and decorated differently.

There is a bed and a sturdy oak desk. Several chairs are lined up against the wall, and a table with chairs is in the center of the room with a half-played chess game set up. Instead of a wedding dress manakin, you see a suit of mail armor in the corner.

The prince is lounging on a couch talking to a friend. The prince stands to greet you without ceremony. "I am Prince Romalus. Don't you dare bow or kneel. This is Lord Damon, my friend since we could pick up wooden swords."

There is also a valet nearby, and the prince dismisses him from the room too.

Prince Romalus is of average height, very athletic build. He has grown a slight moustache and beard. He is dressed in formal regalia armor. Instead of red and blue, it is red and black.

Lord Damon is similarly dressed as Prince Romalus, but has darker skin and hair. He has purple tinges to his clothes, including a scarf.

PRINCE ROMALUS:


LORD DAMON


Romalus dismisses the guards, leaving only your group, Antoine, and Damon.

Romalus says, "Look, you probably know this, but my older brother died several months back, leaving me next in line for the throne. I didn't want it. I don't want it. And I'm sure as the levels of the Abyss don't want to marry this princess. I was meant to be out fighting and exploring. But my father is a different man since my brother's death. He is more stern. He shouts orders. And now this marriage. He broke his promise to me that I can marry whomever I choose."

Damon tries to calm him down. "But Romalus, you haven't chosen anyone."

"I don't want to be tied down."

Damon says, "You need to do this. For your father. For the kingdom."

"Then why doesn't he marry her? He's a widower."

"You are the heir."

"Heir shmeir." Prince Romalus looks at you. "Have you seen her? Is she at least pleasant to look upon? I haven't even seen this bride to be."

"I've seen her only once briefly from afar m'lord." Gaelin replies. " Around 20 seasons or so. A proportioned and fit woman. Brown haired with some length to it. It is made up elaborately in preparation for the wedding. You could do worse m'lord in my humble opinion."

Everyone: Please don't forget to also track the clues thread. I am trying to keep it updated. We can assume that people look like the portraits of them I am posting unless there is a specific note next to the portrait.

One more thing to note. Here is what the typical guard is dressed like at the castle (i.e., if they do not have position, authority, or a specific purpose). There are many of them providing security around the castle, probably 20 in the courtyard, and one in the corner of each common room.

You are told that they must cover their faces if they do not have a position allowing them to speak to guests or royalty. (And yes, that's not necessarily the wisest security strategy, but it is by royal decree from King Lombard.)

TIME: 7:20 p.m.

10 minutes until you need to be in place to inspect and greet the guests.

"Allow me to offer my opinion Prince Romalus." Tahdar says humbly.  "Even for my elven eyes she is a comely woman.  Princess Esther is quite attractive.  And I'm sure you could work out some arrangement with her that would allow you time to travel and explore while at the same time attending to your marriage and other duties."

The prince listens to Tahldar and Gaelin, but then shakes his head. (Charisma check failed.)

"Look," he says, "if they keep me here, I will be duty bound to stay. They will coddle me as the only remaining heir. They won't let me go anywhere. Besides, if I don't leave soon, I won't be able to return before winter sets in. That means I would have to wait until next year anyway. Here's what I'll do. 2000 gold crowns is yours if you help me escape tonight. I just need to get outside the gates before midnight. You can smuggle me in a cart or something. I don't know. After the marriage, I won't have another chance. What do you say?"

"I'm sorry Prince Romalus, but I'll have to decline your offer.  As a member of the King's guard, to fail my duty would be death." Tahldar says soberly.

"Agreed." Gaelin says, looking at Tahldar. He is glad he spoke up first. He turns back to the prince. "I do not want a death sentence. You may have to wait until spring when things have settled in with the princess. Then you can move more freely. With great priveledge comes great responsibility."

The prince narrows his eyebrows. "And perhaps I shall remember this insolence when I am king."

Damon calms him down. (Tahldar makes a critical hit Charisma check.) "Now, now. When you are king, you will remember that they are ever faithful and true to their word. They will make the most trusting of servants."

Prince Romalus nods. "My apologies. I have been cooped up in this castle for too long, and my fate is to be decided in a few short hours."

Damon says to you, "We heard that the princess had a beau of some sort who may not be very pleased by this arrangement. Do you know if he is violent? Does he intend harm on the prince?"

Shae was quiet, sizing up the prince's personality. But now she says, "Your bride to be is more beautiful than I, and charming as well. As for her suitor, yes, his name is Jak. He comes from wealth and is a magnificent fighter, she says. He fights with sword and dagger, dual wielding, and has a mole on his neck. He is a big drinker and has a bald head. He has two friends, a rogue named Angus, also shaved bald. He's got quite the temper. And then another warrior friend named Librus, also with a shaved head. He has some battle scars, including one on his back, one on his hand, and a large burn on his calf. The last friend is a mage named Nom. He has red hair, but he shaved it. He carries a cedar wand and small spellbook. I think, yes, they may be something to be worried about, and possibly jealous and angry. We will keep an eye out for them to protect everyone at Court."

Prince Romalus looks at Lord Damon, then back at you. Apparently impressed by Shae's words, he says, "Look, don't worry about me. Make sure she's safe. What kind of a groom would I be if I let something happen to her? And if you capture her ex and his friends trying to crash our party, there is an extra 1000 coin in it for you."

He indicates the door. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a wedding to prepare for."

He will wait a few seconds to see if there are any further questions.

OOC: If not, we will move on to the greeting guard duty when the guests start arriving.

Shae nods her thanks. "We will certainly make sure she is safe. That is why we are here. I have no further questions for you. I hope your nuptials live up to your every hope." Shae is ready to move on to the next duty.

Tahldar nods to Shae that he is ready to move on.

You leave Prince Romalus and Lord Damon and go down into the courtyard. Once there, two soldiers approach. They tell Lieutenant Antoine (your guide) that Commander Percival (captain of the guard) needs his assistance because the king is making some pre-wedding demands.

Antoine sets you up near the main gate that leads south. "As the guests arrive," he says, "your job is to greet them, see if there is anything suspicious or noteworthy about them, and report back. They have come from various parts of the country, and though they are well respected, they are not subject to His Majesty's authority, and some may even be jealous of his kingdom. So some quick questioning--friendly of course--is what we need. No confrontation, please. The king would have us all beheaded."

Antoine takes off, leaving your group to greet the guests. At the gate are also three sentries on each side of the entryway. Two have horns to blow to announce the guests, two have the guest lists, and two stand straight at attention.

Your group is comprised of:
Gaelin Tanner
Kromram Steelbane
Tahldar of Tyrannia
Shae Shadowglen
Malissar

I just listed those who have posted. Kahan is back in the town--feeling ill. Borimer is still lost since he was teleported away, and Leo (the bard/rogue) disappeared somewhere and does not likely plan to show.

NOTE: Remember that another mission from Zaron is to try to learn about the Syndicate members and the artifacts of Kuvla Tah, since some members will certainly be here.

You have now met with Princess Esther (and her lady in waiting, Anne), the daughter of the queen, and her betrothed, Prince Romalus (and his best friend, Lord Damon). Prince Romalus is son of the king who has grown up in this castle and does not want to marry the princess, wanting to instead lead an adventurous life, but feels forced to after the death of his older brother a few months back.

Here is the wedding schedule again:

PLANNED SCHEDULE:

7:00 Meet Princess Esther privately for a few minutes

7:15 Meet Prince Remalus for a few minutes

7:30 Meet guests arriving at the gatehouse.

8:00-11:00 Guard duty. Look out for anything suspicious. Lieutenant Garand will help escort you. Commander Percival must be made aware of anything important.

11:00 Festivities end, septon arrives, and guests prepare for the wedding

11:30 Wedding ceremony commences

12:00 midnight: Guests depart.

It is now 7:30, and the first guest arrives.

She rides a small palanquin carried by two strong orcs in the front and back. A trail of her advisors and warriors follows behind, along with a cart bearing gifts and her necessities.

The sentry with the guest list announces, after a trumpet blow by his colleague, "The Lady Syssira of House Hebira."

You stand in front to greet them. She waves the orcs to set her down and she approaches you.

But you cannot see her face. She is clad in purple silken garb, and a tiara adorns her head. But a veil completely covers her face. You can see nothing of her features from the neck up. Your first assumption is that she must have been in some tragic accident.


Her voice is pleasant, and you guess her age to be mid-thirties. "My name is Syssira, daughter of the king of the Stonelands. This is my first time here. Are you to be our concierge?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:40, Sat 14 Jan 2023.

Shae introduces everyone, says they are not technically a concierge but enhanced security, and asks if the lady needs some rest before the ceremonies begin.

She nods and says, "I have heard of you. Word travels fast through magic, and Zaron was quick to tell all about your heroic deeds. I applaud you, but with power comes great..." She pauses and then says more softly, "...foes. Be careful. There is a powerful group called the Syndicate which may not wish you well."

Tahldar is concerned Lady Syssira employs Orcs.  As an Elf he despises the creatures and detests even the sight of them.

Standing some distance away, he begins to cast a spell.

OOC:  I will stand as far away as I can but still see Lady Syssira and be within 120 yards.  Tahldar will cast 1st level charm person on Lady Syssira.  Then approach to see if the spell worked.

I am a little concerned that we may have lost almost all players. (Tahldar is always a great, consistent player!) No one really seems to be posting. I take some responsibility for delays, but not sure if this is pleasant for everyone else.

I will continue this, but I'm wondering what to do here...

Tahldar casts a spell. The already friendly Syssira seems even more friendly. (Success.) She does not seem to have any orcs around. Her entourage appears to be all human.

She seems entranced by the approach of Tahldar. "An elf," she says, though you cannot see her face beyond the veil. She reaches out to clasp hands, a pleasantry in her country, apparently.

Tahldar takes her hand and sees a gold and jade wide bracelet (bangle) on her wrist. It is beautiful, obviously old, and has interesting carvings. But he only sees it for a moment before the handclasp ends.



"You are well met, good sir," she says. "I have a good feeling about your group." She looks ready to move on but her head is inclined in Tahldar's direction as if waiting for his approval.

While you talk, her entourage is bringing in her chests with accoutrements. Other guests are starting to line up behind her. Each is inspected by the two guards out front.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:38, Sun 12 Feb 2023.

Gaelin stands at attention, scanning the line of guests.  He examines each in detail from head to toe, noting anything that may seem out of the ordinary.  The others are more adequate with introductions and socializing and so he lets them do the talking.  He is not adequate at such at all, and would probably say the wrong thing.  He remains at attention, reading the guests as they pass and listening to the conversations as they develop near him. He examines the chests and accoutrements as they pass noting sigils, runes, or symbols if present.

---

(OOC)
So, welcome back DM.  It has been a long while.  I had to read a little to remember what was going on here.  Maybe you still have players.  Count me as one.

"Lady Syssira, my name is Tahldar.  I have a good feeling about you as well." Tahldar says to the lady as he approaches and clasps her hands in return.

"Would you consider tarrying here as we meet the guests?  I was hoping you might point out anyone of interest, especially those in the syndicate.  And maybe anyone you don't know.  Plus I'd like to get to know you better."

OOC:  It is my hope Lady Syssira can help identify threats.

Shae also says in a kind voice, "We are pleased to meet you. What can you tell us about that incredible bracelet?"

Gaelin eyes the guests. Lady Syssira's entourage numbers 14 in total. The concierge says they will need to vacate before the ceremonies start, but they can enter to help Syssira get settled.

Beyond Lady Syssira is another noble, and then two or three lined up behind them.

The concierge guard urges you to move on so the other guests can get in and settled.

Syssira follows Tahldar's request. "I may stay a few minutes, but I do not see well from behind my veil." She seems to be torn between the decorum of moving on and being charmed by Tahldar to linger despite her entourage and items moving past her toward the towers.

At Shae's comment, she smiles and shows the bracelet again. "Yes, this has been in my family for generations. It never leaves my arm. They say it is a powerful artifact, and perhaps the reason the Syndicate wanted my membership. It supposedly has great powers, though I don't know what they are. It is called the Berillian Bangle. My family once had the Berillian Brooch as well, but it was stolen long ago."

She seems nervous seeing her people start to scatter out of sight. "Should I go now?"

A quick reminder. There are 5 Pillars of the Kuvlah Tah. Each is associated with two opposing artifacts said to be crafted by the gods. You have identified (and collected) some over time. One Syndicate objective is to collect them all, which is supposed to give someone the power of the gods--or usher in the end of the world or something fantastic like that.

See here: http://wiki.rpol.net/?edit=11516/artifacts_and_magic

"You should go now." Tahldar says to Lady Syssira.  "We can catch up later."

As Lady Syssira moves forward Gaelin gestures to those behind with a gloved hand to vome forward.