Session 12 Notes

The group is standing in the hall outside Aurelien’s study. Hand raised to knock.

You knock, and hear her voice in your heads. "Come in and take a seat, we'll be right with you."

You enter the room and see Aurelien and Fie standing over her desk in the window, conversing quietly, intensely, in a language you don't understand. Outside, the sunny day has quickly grown cloudy, rain threatening. You can hear the rumble of thunder in the distance.

As they speak, Aurelien's voice sounds increasingly agitated, then she slams her fist and straightens, swinging over to the bar to pour a tall glass of dark liquor. You can see her hand shaking, dark shadows under her eyes. She tosses back half, eyes remaining closed for a moment before she sighs and turns to you all.

"Well? What's your report? Val?" dungar puts the head on a silver platter and puts it on the table. Val says they have a copy of the report from the many starred cloak.

Val summarizes teh report from Thelonius. Dungar, there was things being possessed! (The demon possession jumping from corpse to corpse). Val interested in studying this type of undead.

Val reveals her father is missing. Aurelien says if Val is okay with the others hearing, she can tell them what’s going on, among other things. BEGIN DRUNKEN LORE DUMP what A/F learned from the parchment? Points to Luskan, and another Ashmadai cell there. Perhaps even the lead cell, letter is addressed to someone referred to as the Archon. “We are almost ready for the final phase. The items we collected await the ritual, which our sister says is nearly in her grasp. Rally the Army, for our time is nigh! Signed for our lord Asmodeus, all prayers for the alliance with bane. - a brother of ashmadai. (Aurelien gives Dungar the spike of many arrows, btw)

What about Kramer? (Harder nut to crack as an elite noble, but they’ve got agents watching him now) What about Neverember? (Similar, mostly untouchable right now but Aurelien has someone trailing known messengers and agents of the Lord)

What about Aralest? Aralest might have access to the one jailed perpetrator. Aurelien tells them the man was interrogated. He knew nothing of value. (Aurelien has higher confidence that for all his entanglements with the SOAs, he’s not a traitor. It's been harder to meet as of late given heightened security, but she will try to do so in the coming days.)

What about the Sons of Alagondar? (Right now can only monitor the situation and try to warn citizens of impending attacks. Terror threat level orange.)

Any word from Aurelien’s ravens about Rural? (Not yet, but will send a message as soon as she hears anything.) What about disappearance of the Abhorsen? Priestess-Val’s-Mom was the last to speak with him, he wouldn’t reveal where he was going. Just that it was urgent. Warned that there might be people after him. And not to tell Val. Word from the network is that the Abhorsen was in Mithral Hall investigating the rumors of the undead there, but had departed. Aurelien has ravens and eyes out scouring the north. Given proximity to the kingdom of many arrows, and the knowledge that the zhents and orcs may have aligned in this conspiracy...it doesn't look good.

Aurelien tells them they might want to leave the city sooner than later. There are murmurings of a lockdown, get out while you can.

Plan: go north tracking the ashmadai, makes sense bc while Aurelien follows up on the abhorsen and rural, they can wrap up in luskan and then deploy from the northern routes, closer to last sightings and a chance to stop in Mithral Hall to see if any further clues. Aurelien gives them the code name of a contact to meet in Luskan, one Fennel Lightfoot. Ask for a flight of pear cordial with a side of cheese danishes at the Mangled Mongrel tavern and inn. Within 48hrs Fennel should meet you there. Keep a low profile, and stay out of trouble. Sensitive operation. While waiting for Fennel get the lay of the town, maybe see if you can create a locally specific persona for the group to decrease suspicion.

take a boat, a cart, or walk to Luskan. Aurelien gives 500 GP to Val. party describes the enemies they fought to Fie. she draws the dog tongue demon, the summoning circle. maybe there's a bunch of mask wearers, not just the one enemy from TT. Maybe he (Faerghus) recognized the group and that’s why he fled?

(canon: corpses speak, remains don’t. So like full enough bodies eg head + torso) the city is going to close soon. a redeye? a boat dungar saw at the port. Val ays boats deter the undead. Yglesia doesn't like boats because wood and fire, but you know sure.

Aurelien will send Thelonius a note to come by the inn in the morning to bring a scroll of sending for Val.

Group departs Aureliens bar. its now 4pm ish, raining.

Yglesia says sorry about Dungar's sister. Dungar says they just need to go find her. Yglesia just claps dungar on the shoulder and walks away from situation.

thorne and kerri have a very thingy thing. Yglesia grabs thorne and pulls her away to a table. Val tells thorne she saw her flirting with kerri. Thorne tells her she doesn' t like people.

Team sits at a table with beverages to begin their epic plan for the journey north. Yglesia code name be drybones the shaman crone, security provider for the band (because of course they’re a musical act). fortunes and medicine healing, etc.

Val thinking she could be Viv, from the many starred cloak guild. or the violist of the band. (yglesia is unconvinced of her musical talent) maybe more like the manager of the band.

Thorne will be spike, sparkles is dead. mold earth a spike on the ground. should slick her hair back blonde.

Val wanted to go to the bathhouse before they leave.

Dungar, maybe some can join (the bathhouse trip) in solidarity?

Dungar unsure he should have a code name, but how famous is he? probably not well known in luskan, but secrecy might blow the cover.

maybe viv and gil can be the main attractions? dungar can't rebrand. nah, group thinks dungar should be the frontman.

dungar = darsk.

SESSION ENDS WITH THE PLANNING UNFINISHED BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL JFC