Vincent drinks his alchemical allocation extract, then drinks his potion of heroism and spits it back out.
The party sits in a circle as Vincent begins to chant the incantation with Howard, Leonard and Seamus supporting him.
"We, The Seekers, are bound by a common purpose - the thirst for knowledge."
He then passes the miniature ivory and horn staircase to Howard, who feels eager of its 70 steps. The continuous flame lights seem to dim.
"We have gathered this very night in order to open the gate to the Dreamlands."
Howard passes the miniature ivory and horn staircase to Leonard,who feels eager of its 70 steps. The miniature ivory and horn staircase is now heavier.
"For beyond lies the knowledge we seek."
Leonard passes the ivory and horn staircase to Seamus, who feels eager of its 70 steps. Seamus realizes the staircase has now grown bigger.
"Let the portal open between this world and Dylath-Leen"
Seamus passes the now glowing with faint yellow light staircase back to Vincent,who feels each of its 70 steps.
Vincent takes a deep breath, then drops the stairs case in the center of the ring made by the party.
Vincent feels the staircase sap his life energy. The party sees the staircase sinks into the ship deck, expanding to the size of a normal staircase and leads downwards into darkness...
The party moves towards the staircase, and fall fast asleep the moment they touch it.
They find themselves falling through cold darkness…then they see a speck of light in front of them. Moving towards it, the party finds themselves in a spacious, round room with a vaulted celling barely visible through a haze of blue smoke.
Vincent quickly taps the party with the wand of CLW.
Soft couches cover the floor along with several golden braziers, ornate hookahs , and small tables. The curved wall is pierced by curtained archways leading to small private chambers. Humanoids of several different races (although predominantly sullen human native of Dylath-Leen) relax in this common room and partake various recreational drugs. Polite attractive, hosts circulate around the room selling insidious substances to the patrons. One of them approaches Seamus, ”Yo, you wan’ sum gum? We gots the good stuff.”
Vincent and Leonard spot Ambassador Quaveandra with her elaborately coiffed hair and curvaceous form draped in expensive fabric.
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'Nice place, to bad it's a dream.' Taken slightly aback that the hawker would offer him his wares, Seamus looks from the host to Howard and then Vincent and Leonard, "Ummm, I better not, I'm working."
'Ah so that's her.' Once the Ambassador is pointed out to him, Seamus walks over to her giving his finest bow. He straightens, placing his hand on his hip, winking and smiling his best smile he asks, "How you doin'?"
"Not bad, the atmosphere here is absolutely delightful."She replies to Seamus.
As Claude approaches her, she looks in his direction,and demands imperiously, "I am an ambassador in Dylath-Leen and do not tolerate invisible creatures approaching me. I demand you show yourself!"
'I'm not invisible... oh, she wasn't talking to me.' Seamus looks around trying to figure out what's going on, "Mmmmmhhhhhhhmmmmm." Putting his hand over his mouth, clearing his throat, he gives the night hag his finest smile again. "I'm sorry, Pardon me? Invisible? How rude."
"Yes absolutely. I've had several attempts on my life already and I tell you, I'm freaking paranoid. If I think there's going to be a problem I'm going to call my guards in and poof to the ethereal plane. Then wait till they catch the invisible bugger then make a gruesome example out of him." Ambassador Quaveandra complains. "This had better not be another one of their ploys. I've had poisoned food, a delivery of a robe of powerlessness to me over the last few weeks."
She leans down and whispers conspiratorially to Seamus, but Howard and Vincent hear her as well, "I suspect someone among my retinue might be responsible."
"Find the culprit - and any reward that is within my power to give is yours."
Leonard walks up next to Seamus, sword resting on his shoulder infinitely more awkwardly than hands rest on hips. [smaller]"If someone in your retinue is guilty, you probably know a great deal more than we do. Who can you trust?" Leonard looks around at the guards, taking stock of them.
Vincent smiles at Leonard, Why yes, thank you.
He pulls an herb and begins to mix it with the rum, stopping to ask, May I? If Leonard doesn't stop him he drops it in and swirls the drink around, taking a long drink before passing it back. The herb seems to amplify the effects of the alcohol.
"Everyone except for Ammanetta the steward, Dol Theth the astrologer and fortune teller, and Kavriki the musician. Interview them individually in my private room, over there," She gestures to the room by the side, "Then report to me who is the assasin."
"Sure," Leonard replies, watching the herb swirl around. He takes the rum back and sips from it, "interesting flavor. Makes it burn a little more, but it's still smooth, especially at first." Leonard looks around the small room, sliding the bottle back to Vincent. "So, what's been your impression of the dreamlands so far? How do you think the Mad Prophet will react to us showing up?"
Leonard shows up the second day with Angiliath swinging at his side. His red jacket is quite out of place in the kitchen, he looks much more like the person who might be receiving a steaming platter of roast beast than the person to cook it. He places his hands together in front of him somewhat nervously, "Um, I was wondering if we could make something in particular. Are there any potatoes onboard?"
"Sa', we ave potatoes. Fwied Potato wedges go well with fish and potatoes can keep might long." Darja replies. Noting his nervousness, she remarks, "And you don't ave to look like I'm going to chew you up, Leonard."
Before heading into the portal, Leonard casts defending bone on a shark skull.
Leonard looks the three of them over, "I think we should start with Ammanetta, the steward." He gestures at Ammanetta and walks towards the private room.
Inside, Leonard first makes sure that the party is alone with Ammanetta. "What exactly are your duties here?" He asks, fingering Angiliath's guard.
as they walk into the room alone with a potential assassin, Leonard pulls out his wand, Tegere, he mutters to himself. It's not like the charges won't reset when they return home anyway.
"Right, well, how do we go about cooking them whole then? With the skin on and everything." Leonard looks around for an oven. "And do you have catfish? Catfish and potatoes, a common meal for a young boy, I ought to know how to make them myself, I should think."
Vincent takes another sip, and shrugs, Technically it is a plane, like ours, but the dreamland's definitely have some qualities that make it seem more unreal to us. It doesn't bother me, it is quite like an opioid hallucination... The mad prophet will hopefully be amenable with all the trinkets we are collecting. Seems a bunch of busy work to me, personally.
Vincent nods at nothing noticeable, hoping Howard's trick works to quicken this particular expedition.
"Everyone has something they want us to do, but what can you expect? Our skill set is different from most people's, I suppose that makes us good for a specific set of problems." Leonard grins slightly, taking another drink. "What's an opioid hallucination like?"
"Cut them into quawta's and thwow them in the oven tha'." Darja gestures at the oven. "Sa' we ave catfish.Fweshly caught this mo'ning.The Sellen wiva' is full of them."
"That's why Captain Skywind o'da'd those extwa stwong nets special. To catch big fish." Darja explains.
"You'we lucky to ave fish. All I ad was wat'y gwuel. I was a fo'ma' slave." She offers by way of explanation.
Ammanetta agrees to meet with Leonard and the party in the room. "I am in charge on enzuring zat zee Ampazator's puzinezes run smoothly. Arh ! Zuch as making zure zee zublies reach zee schobs, reffenue is collecded, embloyees are baid zeir dues, und taxes baid."
Leonard glances around at the others. 'Zublies?' He asks, slightly confused. "What's a 'schob'?" Someone in a position of power, one that's particularly prone to corruption. Maybe a criminal or foreign power wants the Ambassador dead?
"Can we put them in whole instead? They're good to eat that way, like apples." He opens the oven and, if she doesn't object, places a few potatoes far from the fire.
”Oh I forkot. Arh ! You’re one of zoze outlanters vo aren’t uzed to mein accent.” She sighs in exasperation and with an effort attempts to speak slowly, trying to make herself understood, I’ll repeat myself. I am in charge of ensuring that the ambassador’s business runs smoothly. Such as making sure that the goods reach the shops, revenue is collected, employees are paid their dues and taxes are paid.”
At the end of the whole thing, she sounds rather irritated. ”Look – you’ve asked me in this room for a reason right? I have a lot of matters to attend to – so please spill it out, so I can arrange for the next consignment of opium and hash to be shipped to our store in Celephias.” She sounds rather grumpy at this point of time.
Vincent also finds that the private room is trapped and will release poisonous fumes, and presses the hidden switch to disable the trap.
” Sa', if you want to wait fo' an oa' fo' the potatoes to be woasted.”Darja answers laconically, ” You’d be cutting it a bit close on the timing as lunch is supposed to be weady in an oa'.”
"Does it take an hour?" Leonard moves the potatoes closer to the fire, "Maybe we can make it fifty minutes."
"It's okay if I'm late to lunch, no big loss."
"You could, but you'd need to be v'y caweful and keep ta'ning them o' they might get ba'nt."Darja replies. Leonard does so anyway and the potatoes turn out more or less fine, just a little on the charred side.
"The catfish was always in pieces, I think it might have been fried?" Leonard looks around for a pan.
One of the kitchen hands passes Leonard a pan. He also shows Leonard where the olive oil and butter is. "Do ye needs any other oils or any other ingredients?" He asks Leonard.
Both the fortune teller, Dol Theth and the musician, Kaviriki show moderately strong auras of magic. The tiefling steward whom Leonard is currently interviewing does not have any magic aura.
Perhaps due to the smoky haze - but Howard is unable to determine how many magical auras there are, nor which items the magical auras are from on both Dol Theth and Kaviriki.
Seamus turns from the Ambassador and looks at the three staff members that she points out.
Ammanetta is a female tiefling in black robes and a seemingly permanent sneer on her face. She looks extremely disgruntled of being interviewed, like she has matters more important to attend to.
Dol Theth is dreamy eyed fair-skinned human man in green robes. He walks through the world as if seeing and hearing portents no one can see, his crystal ball of swirling stars in his hands.
Kaviriki is lithe, graceful and slim dark skinned human in a red and gold performers outfit, carrying a pair of metal cymbals.
Claude eventually does turn visible.
Before rising to begin the incantation for the dreamlands after drinking with Leonard, Vincent notices the thing squirming across the floor, as does Leonard. Upon closer inspection, it appears that a foul creature of nightmare is attempting (successfully) to shove the thing down it's throat. Shocked, Vincent rises from his chair, and then stops and appears to be frozen by the creatures gaze. They seem to commune, before it blinks out of sight. There is a rustle of Vincent's cloak, but nothing more is seen.
Vincent sees they will need to do footwork and chews on something.
Vincent follows the others, watching their suspects intently as well and anything out of the ordinary. If he notices anything or the imp does, Vorq telepathically tells the party speakers pretending to be Vincent. Vorq notifies Vincent if he sees any magic or people detect non good.
Lots of people detect as not good in this drug den, including Ambassador Quaveandra. All 3 possibilities are not good, as a matter of fact.
Vincent walks right up to the Tiefling. Are you trying to kill the Hag?, he asks, staring at her intently.
"No!" Ammanetta protests vehemently. "In fact the thought that she'd even suspect me of plotting her murder is preposterous. After I've run her business like clockwork for many years, increasing profit margins by 200 percent and this is how she treats me?!"
"I'm tendering my resignation and she can go and find another steward. Her business can rot in the nine hells for all I care!"
Everyone except Howard feels that this is clearly the outburst of a tiefling being wrongly accused of a crime she did not commit. Howard on the other hand, thinks that Ammanetta has something to hide.
'Are you trying to kill .... really?' Seamus looks from Vincent to Howard, shaking his head, he quickly walks up to the Tiefling, smiling his third best smile. "You must pardon the bluntness of my cloaked friend. He isn't used to the intricacies of court life." Seamus looks around conspiratoriously, raising an eyebrow and whispering. "What he means is if you kill the ambassador can we have her heartstone?" Seamus turns and winks to Vincent, convinced that he has diffused the situation.
"In fact, despite what you wish were true, she doesn't trust you. Why? Leonard turns to look at the woman, upon whom many pairs of eyes now rest.
Vincent shrugs, Do whatever you like.
He then promptly tracks down the musician Seamus is suspicious of and asks him the same pointed question.
”Just because I remember the details of everything that I’ve ever seen, like for example I know the poison was served in her favourite wine, Pinot noir, and that robe of powerlessness had a W symbol sketched on hem, she thinks I committed the murders. Why else, would someone know every single detail? She said in her own words.” Ammanetta answers sullenly.
Vincent, Vorq and Howard think that she is telling the truth, while Leonard and Seamus think she has something to hide.
”What?!” Her eyes widen in shock. ”Guards!” She screams,”The raven-haired human says he wants to kill the ambassador!” The door opens and a bearded devil guard wielding a glaive with a bored expression looks in. ”Look – Interrogation as per normal, right?” He shakes his head, ”Whatever methods you’re using, I don’t want to know. Just tell us when you’ve got the culprit.” He tells the party.
"Describe what Dol Theth and Kaviriki are wearing right now in as much detail as possible." Leonard doesn't bat an eye.
”Dol Theth is wearing green robes, on which a pattern of vines and leaves can be seen, and is carrying a crystal ball of swirling stars in his hand. Kaviriki is in a red and gold performers outfit that has an engraved kirin on the hem of her left sleeve, and is carrying a pair of metal cymbals.” Ammanetta rattles out without missing a beat.
Leonard eyes both Dol Theth and Kavikiri carefully and does indeed find the pattern of vines and leaves on the robes, as well as the kirin on the hem of the left sleeve of Kaviriki’s performer’s outfit.
"No, I’m just a simpl musisian paid to pay here. Why vuld I try to asasinate ze person paying me"Kavriki protests.
Vincent and Vorq think that her protests don't seem quite genuine and has something to hide. The rest of the party believes that Kavriki is innocent.
Hearing the woman yell for the guards, Seamus rolls his eyes, I didn't say I wanted to kill her, I said I wanted her heartstone." Seeing the guards come in he glares at the tiefling, "Look what you've done now."/b] Walking up the devil Guard, he shakes his head, [b]"I really don't think it's that one. But we will keep you posted."
Nodding toward the other two suspects Seamus tells Leonard. "Dol Theth is wearing green robes, on which a pattern of vines and leaves can be seen, and is carrying a crystal ball of swirling stars in his hand. Kaviriki is in a red and gold performers outfit that has an engraved kirin on the hem of her left sleeve, and is carrying a pair of metal cymbals.”
Walking up beside Vincent Seamus rolls his eyes at his friend. then turns to the fellow musician. Giving his second best smile and a polite bow, he winks. "How you doin'? I'm Seamus Passeri's of the Karcau Passeri’s From Ustalav and I, If I may be so bold, am a performer as well. Do you sing as well as play? Tell me what kind of cymbals do you play? Do you consider yourself a bard or just a gleeman?" He leans in close, and whispers. "What he means is if you kill the ambassador can we have her heartstone?"
” Oh I’m just a simpl musisian. Don’t realy hav ze shine, yu knov. ” Kavriki admits modestly, blushing a little. ” But I do my best. I danse viz kymbals.”
” I don’t realy hav a good singing voise. ” She admits.
Everyone thinks the Kavirki is a simple musician.
” Hey..I vant to kil ze ambasador for seling drugs to my peopl and turning zem opium zombies, spending al zeir life saving on ze drugs and bekoming living zombies bekause of it. Zey drift zrugh life, experiensing nozing exsept vhen on opium. And al zey do is look to zeir next fix. To ze point zey’r viling to sel zeir suls for it. Ze only vay to stop zis malady spreading zrugh my peopl is to nip it at ze head. Zat’s vhy ze Ambasador must die. If yu help me, I’l help yu distrakt ze guards, and yu kan get her heartstone. She whispers to Seamus, her eyes lighting up with vidication, as she says so.
"Right, you're free to go for now, but we might call you back." Leonard dismisses Ammanetta.
He watches Seamus talk to the musician for a moment, not having anything to add just yet, and willing to wait for Seamus to talk to the astrologer first.
Vincent relays telepathically his doubts upon first meeting the musician, as well how he is uncertain the second time he speaks. He may be a good liar or need to be prodded more so Vincent has more opportunity to notice him lying.