Iva curtsies low to the King. He's heard of me. Goodness.
Iva takes a look at the dossier. She pulls open her briefcase and to compare any notes she has to what's in the document. She suddenly realizes that this isn't the time and certainly not the place.
"I'm sorry your Majesty." She bows and mummers as she puts her documents away.
"Quintal? That name has been mentioned more than once on this eventful day. Perhaps we should start with locating him..."
The king nods over to Delft and he says, "Our best lead is Lorcan Kell. His thugs used a ring gate to attack the RHC headquarters, and as the you just saw, these guys are using odd, high-tech equipment, like poison gas launchers and time bombs and taking orders from the Ob. The first step we need to get into the Bleak Gate, then, is to capture and interrogate Lorcan Kell.
We know that Lya Jierre arrives on the 13th, which realistically gives the us just four days for this mission. The idea with Rufus would be great if we had time, but Kell has a huge organization,so the King is giving us help. It took a while to press through all the bureaucracy to get this arranged, and I am proud to announce that we have formed a task force to take down Kell’s guild. We will have 50 police officers at our disposal full time until the summit."
He then spits out some more chaw into the spittoon and says, "We have one Sergeant Deb Macon waiting in a nearby office, from the police. She’ll be helping coordinate their forces and deploy them over the next few days. The king is pretty busy, so I figure you’ll meet
with her this afternoon and spend some time kicking around a plan just down the hall, then come back to brief the king once you’ve got the details figured out. The task force can start in the morning. With luck, you’ll find Kell before he knows what hit him."
The PM adds, "Taking Kell alive is optimal. To get into the Bleak Gate, a less likely option is to contact Hana “Gale” Soliogn. The woman is officially a terrorist, but she claimed to have been guided to the Bleak Gate by a fey named Ellik in the past. She claimed the trip required unique circumstances, but it’s possible Gale or Ellik could help out, Cretien and Falko may have had some interactions with her in the past."
Delft also recalls "Back in Fall, there was something about a wrecked automaton that Carlao and his crew found that seemed suspicious, I remember Cretien looking at it."
The king tells Harkover Lee to get some expert technologists to help the RHC look into the machine.
The king says, If all else fails, I can open a brief portal to the Bleak Gate, but only at midnight during a new moon. The next new moon is on the 14th, a few hours after we're set to start talking with the Jierres. But if the you can’t find another way in, I still want you to go after the Ob, so I’ll send you through, but I want you to get in there before the summit kicks off. It will strengthen our hand in the negotiations."
Iva nods in understanding. "We will do our best to reach the Bleak Gate before the 13th." She waits to see if any others have questions, before leaving to meet with Deb Macon.
Femi nods as well. We have a challenge, a due date, and some backup. What can go wrong?
He smiles to himself and starts to worry about all the unknowns. He also waits for the others, then leaves to their next meeting.
Perception DC 20
Cretien turns his head.
"There is someone just outside. Probably wants in."
The being that crashes through the door is someone who Cretien remembers, a high elf juggernaut named Asrabey Varal who constable Harn shot back last Spring. He nods at Cretien giving him a modicum of respect and then says, "“Gracious King Aodhan, ruler of the mortal nation of Risur as recognized by the true lords of this land, I come on an urgent mission for the Unseen Court. The Court demands it be known that one of their ilk has taken an interest in this city and is acting on his own. I am here to tell you that the Court does not approve.
“His name is Ekossigan, herald of the four seasons, he who defends stags from arrows, widdershins prophet, and liege of changelings. Upon leaving the Court he penned this poem:
“When spring returns to winter, /
The cauldron births a spark.
“The steel betrays the vintner,
/ The silver spurns the arc.
“The fire-bride’s dissension:
/ Dismissed by green-adorned.
“The wheel-woven dead man
/ Shall wake the cauldron-born.
“I ask your leave to search this city for the rebel. Moreover, I invoke the Rite of Kelland’s Tribute. We offer one war unfought in exchange for one season slain. The fey shall not retaliate if you kill that which the Unseen Court’s greatest warrior cannot harm.”
Knowledge History or Nobility DC 15
While the elf is talking, one of the King's servants whispers in his ear. He hits the table with his fist coughing excuse me
The King says, "True Lords!..." he then coughs into his hand and says to you, "I am required to have this tribute fulfilled. Would you Constables be willing to add this to your duties over the next ew days?"
"I will do as I must, befitting my station, my King." Turning to the others, he says "I have not a penchant for artistry, though the written word does not elude me. Can someone elucidate in more certain terms what is to be done?"
"He needs our assistance to bring the fey to the expected end that all rouges find. Such is the way of Heid Eschatol's teaching. Everything must end properly." She nods in agreement.
Aodhan ultimately agrees to allow Asrabey to hunt Ekossigan, but he demands that the high elf otherwise obey Risuri law while inside the city. Asrabey agrees, then turns to you and says, "Meet me at RHC HQ two days hence at dawn and we will work together, I have some contacts that will not be willing to meet me if you are with me in the next day or so. Tata."
He then leaves.
Before you turn to leave to join up with the taskforce, the king says, "There is just one more thing, Constables I would like you to escort Brakken of Hefanita, our chief Mediator and Ambassador from Ber, his ship is arriving soon and I forgot to get him an escort. Could you pick him up and bring him where he needs to go?"
Femi bows low to the King and accepts the piles of burdens placed on the party. He just hopes they can get it all done in the time allotted. Seems unlikely.
Never the less, he tries to put a bold face on it as they move to the docks. "Yes, hopefully this bodyguard stint is short, we do have a lot to do!"
As they walk, Femi admits he's no good with poetry. "I can study arcane texts for hours before I need a break to clear my head, but a short verse and my mind twists up in knots. Can't think straight. Glad you folks have a handle on it." he grins as they move.
"Thank you Your Grace." Iva bows and backs out of the room and follows Falko as quickly as possible.
Once outside the room she starts writing notes. "That's three tasks. Babysit a Mediator and Ambassador, kill a fey, talk to Sergeant Deb Macon about taking down Kell and getting in the Bleak Gate before the 13th. DId I miss anything? We're going to be busy."
She starts down the hallway. "Off to speak to the Sargent then. That seems to be the first task."
You leave the building and you grab a carriage to take you to the appointed dock when the Fuego Duradero arrives from Ber at noon. The impressive galleon is crewed mostly by orcs and half-orcs, with a handful of gnolls, lizardfolk, and other monstrous humanoids. The ship’s bosun, a brute of a lizardman introduces himself as Cruusk, is first off the boat and asks with a hiss who’s meeting the ambassador.
He hisses, "Cansss I ssssseeeeee ssssssomme ID, senora i senores?"
He looks at your badges in a cursory manner and sends a runner back to get the ambassador. And tells you that he needs to unload the ambassador's cargo.
A few of the crew come down the gangplank to the docks, and the local
dockers warily prep a crane. A goblin and a docker get into a brief argument—neither speaks the other’s language—and eventually the docker
throws up his hands and lets the goblin take the crane’s controls. The
ship’s crew hook it up and raise a huge crate from the galleon’s hold.
Sense Motive DC20
vs DC 20
Femi leans in close to Falko and whispers, "I think we're being watched by someone, but I can't quite make out who. Not the crew I think... someone else. Let's be on our toes."
He walks amiably in a circle as if just killing time, but passes the same message onto everyone in the group. I should have memorized Message today. Useful little cantrip.
He peers out along the pier, looking for trouble.
Femi
Femi laughs and points as a shadow passes in behind a window in a nearby bar. "There! One of Kell's group was just watching us with a spyglass. I doubt we'll catch him now as he's fled but they are keeping an eye on us that's for sure."
"Any way we can use this to our advantage?" he wonders aloud thinking about splitting the party to send them on a wild goose chase, but as the goose, we'd be wasting time too. Time we don't have. He shrugs and turns his attention back to the task at hand, though he keeps looking around as well...
Snap!
The crane is hoisting a massive steel cage off the Fuego, but the weight is too much, and the cable snaps, dropping the cage on the stone worked dock. It breaks on impact, and the contents of the case claws their way out: a massive dire bear.
The Risuri dockers nearby panic but the ship’s crew watch with amusement. The sudden flurry of movement spooks the bear, and it rears up defensively.
Femi shouts, ”Try not to kill it, the ambassador may be angry if we do! Can anyone calm it?” he looks to the others for skill he does not have.
He does however make sure that while he's well back, he has a clear shooting lane, for he has a spell on the tip of his tongue if the bear does not calm quickly.
"I'm not good with creatures, but I can get us out of legal trouble for killing the creature if it comes to that." She takes a defensive stance pulling out her weapons.
The dire bear soon settles down and ponderously
approaches Cretien, then stops to stare into his face.
The crew of the Fuego look on in stunned disbelief; Cruusk drops the crate he was holding. The goblin operating the crane quickly exits and begins swimming away, fearful of the consequences.
Booming footsteps signal the arrival of Brakken of Heffanita,
the minotaur mediator walking down the gangplank towards the dock. He’s amused by the sight, and calls out to the bear, saying "Feroz."
The large beast turns and plods back to Brakken’s side. The minotaur looks at you and says, "Not many people would stand so stoically being approached by a startled dire bear, that was a show I must say. “ I am Brakken of Heffanita, Ambassador to Risur from
the Progressive Monarchy of Ber, and chosen mediator for the historic
peace talks between Danor and Risur. And what might be your names, senora y senores?"
The spell fizzles from his lips as Femi slowly comes to understand the bear is tame. Good think I didn't fireball it. he thinks, the color rushing to his face. He recovers quickly.
"Ambassador, I am Euphemia Ferka, Welcome to our fair city, and thank you for your service." he in turns introduces everyone else in the group.
Brakken nods his head and says, "I understand you are busy but I need to get to the embassy and put my friend Feroz in the stable there. And then I would like you to join me and the observer from Drakr for lunch and then I will go meet with King Aodhan. We shan't be more than three hours."
"It's an honor to meet you Ambassador." She slips her weapons back in their sheath, and bows. "I am Iva Skipwith-Darling at your service. Shall we head to the stable. I haven't met anyone with a dire bear as a pet before."
The ambassador says, "I found him when he was just a cub. Feroz is a good boy."
Brakken puts a pack on his bear’s back, full of gifts meant for the dignitaries, and then he’s ready to head out.
The Beran consulate is located in the southern district of eastern Stray River. The fastest way is to take a ferry, but Brakken asks to take a carriage, which takes some more time.
Brakken makes small talk, shares stories about his homeland, and
asks a few questions about Flint. As ambassador to Risur he’s spent his
time in Slate, not Flint, and this city is much more psychically complex
than any he’s been to before.
The route passes a few landmarks, like Dawn Square (where Nevard’s
Rally took place; here Brakken looks troubled), the Royal Shipyard
(where the king’s ships are docked; Brakken smiles), and Hotel Aurum
(Brakken begins frowning a block before the party comes within site of
the blockaded street and the protesters gathered). Brakken isn’t set to
meet the king until later tonight, so he continues to Stray River, where his mood perks up.
Sense Motive DC 22
Femi engages the man with small talk, describing things as they pass - if he seems to have an interest. He tries not to look disinterested, but he keeps an eye out of the carriage as well - looking for trouble.
Brakkan says, "It is true I have never been to the city before. I am based in Slate, the capital. I am not sure how to put it but I am an empath. I can feel the general feeling of a location. A great deal of people are still sad about what happened at Dawn Square. Nevard was a beloved skyseer. The Royal shipyards is a place of pride in the nation of a whole. Yes and where the summit is to take place, people just are apprehensive about a treaty with Danor, there has been four wars and the marriage between the King and Sovereign's niece is making people uneasy."
Iva notices the changes in Brakken's mood as they travel through different parts of the city. "That is a most interesting skill, and I imagine that it can be a burden on you as well. Does it make being an Ambassador easier?"
Brakkan says, "It depends. You can understand if they are trying to cheat you but not what their intentions are."
He hears you ask the drive to change direction and then says, "Constable, we do not have the time to go somewhere else, I need to put my bear in the stable and meet up with the Drakran observer and then see your King. If you would like me to go somewhere later we can meet up later this evening."
The Beran consulate is far less impressive than the Danoran consulate
that the you visited in Adventure Two, The Dying Skyseer, but it
spreads across more land. Rustic and relaxed, the consulate is rarely visited and sees only a handful of official guests every month.
The grounds are patrolled by a half-dozen guards with fierce and loyal mastiffs.
Two-stories tall and constructed of simple brickwork, the main consulate building is dwarfed by the stables.
Knowledge Local DC 10
The consular, a one-legged orc named Gerax, greets Brakken and the
constables like they’re old friends.
Gerax greets the constables with great respect despite their relatively low standing.
Gerax asks everyone to join him for drinks, but Brakken declines, saying he has a lunch date. He asks the constables to take him to Pardwight University and he says it is his treat.
"An empath, truly fascinating." Femi agrees as they ride along. Though he too is curious about Cauldron Hill, he understands the need for haste too. He rides along amiably.
Though he'd love to see what's in the stables today, he also declines politely. "Thank you for your generosity, but we too are strapped for time. Thank you and we hope your time here is pleasant."
"Pardwight, eh? Sounds good to me."
Iva starts to chuckle as they enter the grounds. I had forgotten about the stables. I think I was brought here as a child for the tour. It's a good thing we aren't trigger happy."
At 2:15 in the afternoon, you and Brakken reach Pardwight
District, where the city’s main university lies and where Cretien is a professor. Brakken asks around a bit for a restaurant but Cretien
points him to a Yerasol restaurant that serves fruit, goat,
fish, and fried plantains located in the Onça Student Hall (Area 11 on
the map). There they are greeted by Steffan Eberhardt, and Brakken introduces
him to the party as “Drakr’s eyes at the peace summit.”
Steffan—an old thin dwarf with sickly white skin, who supports himself
on a skull-tipped ebony cane—shrugs in a “what are you gonna do”
way and says, “We Drakrans thought we knew how the world was going
to end—these two countries fighting until everyone is dead. Now we
have to change all our predictions.”
Brakken leans in to the constables and whispers theatrically, “Drakr’s just worried they’ll have fewer customers for their guns and warships.”
The two laugh and Brakken looks for a seat big enough to support him.
Eberhardt says, "The end of all things must be natural and not forced. Some people want to cause the end to come quicker than ordained, which is a mistake. The true meaning of the way is through making sure the end is not just an end but rather a proper end. When the planet is ready to end, there is not much we can do to make it so or make it not so."[b]
Brakkan says, [b]"We in Ber are less gloomy than our friends up north, nay?"
"Yes, the end shall not come easily. We have come too far. If we cannot stop it, then perhaps it is a proper end."
Iva brightens when she meets Steffan. "You are right. The end must come in a proper way. Not forced as some are trying to do. It's an honor to meet you." Iva bows, and mentions that she has just come from Drakar, and spent several years there.
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Pardwight District.
One of the few parts of Central District that has managed to keep itself
surrounded by a buffer of nature, Pardwight is host to the city’s university.
Classes fill spare rooms in the buildings of the district, with only a
handful of facilities exclusive to the school.
The orange line of the subrail is actually above ground in the Pardwight
District, and it has opened up the area to middle class socialites who are
charmed by the eclectic clothiers, restaurants, and other shops in the
area. Sailors and dock workers trying out the trains for the first time
often jump off here to explore. Students tend to stay in the dorms, but
the rail offers them easy access to the city’s culture.
Wisdom check (DC 14)
Unless otherwise noted, buildings are 30 feet high. Streets are 30 or
40 feet wide.
1. Pemberton Industries Office Building. This squat complex
once served as a testing ground for the discredited Pemberton
Industries’ experiments with personal arcanoscientific devices.
Now it is locked and lightly guarded until Benedict Pemberton
or his debtors can clear out the labs. The university briefly had
a department of arcanoscience based here, but now the students
have been forced to find other accommodations, most of them
much less safe in the event of accidents.
2. Flint Tribune. This five story building holds the offices of the
city’s foremost daily paper, as well as business printing presses.
It also services the Risuri Record and Pryce of Progress, papers
having more of a “tabloid” feel.
3. Mixed use. Various shops, often with classrooms or apartments
on different floors.
4. Pardwight Medical Library. Five stories tall, the library houses
not just books but curative scrolls, galleries of famous healers, and
an entire floor of preserved specimens, human and monstrous.
5. Mixed use. Another set of shops, galleries, and such, surrounding
a pleasant garden.
6. Strandholt Teaching Hospital. The façade has three stories,
while the two wings—for critical patients and chronic patients,
have an extra floor. A basement extension houses the insane.
7. Mixed Use. If you’re going to have a mixed-use property, you
want it here, because this one is really the prettiest. Look at that
fountain.
8. Hodgeman Hall. The only part of the district that exclusively is
owned by the university, these two buildings have several lecture
halls and cozy classrooms for the teaching of classics, languages,
and non-mechanical sciences.
9. Pardwight Druidic Temple. The university formally recognizes
all druidic sects, and tolerates clericists and other religions, but its
founders adhered to the way of the puma spirit, looking forward to
prey or progress, not skyward like the skyseers.
10. Quillis Upperclassman Dorm. Fronted by a fresh air market,
the dorm is actually run by a collection of former graduates who
demand their lodgers work at least 4 hours a week in the market.
11. Onça Student Hall. A major gathering place for students, Onça
Hall also houses most of the university’s administrative offices,
plus its commissary. The Yerasol restaurant where you are eating.
12. Pardwight District Court. This somber building is known as the
Stone Dome by the law students who study here. A small police
lies across the ravine to the southeast.
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13. Anderson Clock Tower. The sixty-foot high clock tower predates
Flint’s industrial boom, and it has never stopped working for more
than five minutes.
14. Foyle Ravine. Signs warn people not to enter the wooded ravine.
Because of an old teleportation prank gone awry, anyone who tries
to leave the gorge teleports back to the base unless they’re wearing
a gold ring. The local police keep gold rings on hand to rescue
stranded pedestrians. The phenomenon is why the subrail has to
go on the surface here.
15. Pardwight Station (Orange Line, station 4). This station has
some of the most stark and modern architecture of the whole
subrail system.
16. Cesanne Sword Studio. This physical education facility was
originally founded to teach duelists. Today it mostly hosts
dodgeball.
The dwarf says, "Likewise. I wonder how long it will take to get our food. You have so many different kinds of food in the Southern continent."
Brakkan says, "You have good food in Drakr, too."
"It's too bright a day to speak of the end. If it is in fact looming, we'll stop it, of that I am confident." he says without nearly as much confidence as he's feigning.
He looks about outside, "This is a lovely district, but I've always been fond of places of higher learning." he grins more honestly.