“My friends, colleagues, and assorted enemies, it is wonderful to see you all out in your finery beneath the beautiful stars tonight. With any luck, the weather will be the only thing that refuses to change this evening.
“We have all gathered here tonight to honor Master Kalbio of Breezy Creek, a master artisan and true patriot, for his exquisite skill and service to our glorious empire. Master Kalbio demonstrates so eloquently that a heart may be noble regardless of the stature of one’s birth, and while it may be premature, I hope to be the first to congratulate you, sir, on the exaltation you will see tonight and welcome you into the ranks of Taldor’s long-lived aristocracy.
“But we gather here to discuss matters of state, as well. And just as the exaltation reminds us that our glorious empire must always look out into the world to refresh the greatness of its leadership, we must all look out into the world around us and see how it has grown. The child-nations our empire birthed—Andoran, Cheliax, Lastwall—have grown strong by examining the great traditions they inherited from our motherland, and embracing those relevant to this new world and discarding those that held them back. So too will we, this very night, examine one of Taldor’s oldest traditions—primogeniture—with eyes wide open, to determine whether it has held us back from the glory and stability our wayward states have found.
“Our obligation tonight is not about one person or one vote in the senate. It is about the nation we love and about ensuring that nation does not fall behind the times. We are the inheritors of mighty Azlant, and I say that we must work together to avoid sharing that old empire’s fate. Taldor endures!”
After getting swept away by the crowd, Tiber stands enraptured by the Princess and her speech. So much so, that he is practically rooted to the spot and unaware of anything else going on around him.
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Pavo claps politely in response to Eutropia's speech, although he repeatedly looks past the princess to the entrance to the Senate chambers.
Delena follows the speech with great concentration. Her expression shifts from interest to slight annoyance on the exaltation announcement, then to more thoughtful one when Eutropia switches to talking about primogeniture. Delena doesn't seem content or delighted at any point of the speech.
Thalasou listens to the Princess's speech. The flows of patriotic loyalty stir deep within his soul as he feels the impact of her words. Taldor Endures! Indeed! This is why he works for Martella. This is his passion. Not to change the world just for the sake of changing it; but to change the world for the increase of Taldor's glory.
With some effort Thalasou refocuses on the task at hand. The first order of business is to find out about Centimus and Pace but anything he can find out about other influential people can't help but be useful.
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The beehive boxes suddenly begin to rattle, then shake, then one collapses and knocks down the other two. Agitated bees swarm toward the unsuspecting crowd, repeatedly stinging those too slow to escape. Fortunately, the PCs weren't important enough to get close to Princess Eutropia, and were left on the outskirts near an entrance to the senate.
A minute later, security officials swarm the courtyard, removing the few people too injured to walk themselves out. They quickly cordon off the courtyard, and begin cleaning up the mess.
The sudden crash of the collapsing bee boxes summons his attention back to the courtyard. He makes a quick retreat away from side of the gardens where the enraged bees have taken wing.
"That was suspiciously ill timed!" he comments.
Delena shoos the insects away with her umbrella, but then suddenly yelps and slaps herself in the thigh. She digs a bit under her skirts, pulls out a dazed bee, and crushes it between her fingers. In the chaos caused by the bees she ended near Pavo, and now nods to him: "Truly ill. Disadvantages of female clothing, easy for bugs to get in. And now my leg will burn like I was hugging an efreet." She grits her teeth and succeeds mostly in hiding the pain.
Thalasou turns his head to the noise as soon as it happens. "Oh no. Those bees aren't going to be happy!" He immediately begins moving out of the range of the agree insects. He is nearly out of the courtyard already before the officials usher everyone out.
The rattling beehives are enough to pull Tiber from his enthrallment and he quickly heads inside. Just as he walks indoors, the crash of multiple hives is heard.
"I agree, what the hell was that? We should keep any eye out for anything else unusual happening," he says quietly and quickly to Pavo and Delena, before wandering back near the Servant Area.
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Though there is lots of gossip about the interruption to Princess Eutropia's speech, most people get back to business quickly--allowing the PCs to do the same.
Social Round 1
Locations A2. Courtyard
NPCs Princess Eutropia Stavian I, Lady Gloriana Morilla
Effects none
Ayalina -
Delena -
Pavo -
Thalasou -
Tiber -
Having arrived at the Servant's Area, Tiber does his best to distract himself from the gathering beyond by engaging with the servants. "Those nobles don't seem to have minded a swarm of bees too much, should keep serving quite 'business as usual,' eh? Perhaps even a little bit of gossip based on its timing too." Got to build up the courage to move on, I can't dawdle here!
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Pavo loses sight of Ayalina in the aftermath of the disrupted bees. He idles for a while in the senate chamber, nodding at random people who wish to be important but whose names do not even merit remembering. After a while with neither women working for Martella making a show and giving him the excuse he needs, he drifts his way toward the servant's entrance.
He pantomimes responding to a non-verbal summon into the servants area and slips inside unobtrusively. Once within, he slips his way toward the wine cellar, trying to avoid being noticed by too many servants.
Inside the wine cellar, he quickly scrolls through the wines until he finds the one he believes to be his target. He slips a syringe out of his pouch and carefully inserts the needle through a natural crevice in the cork. He draws back some of the wine and then injects the contents back into the bottle. He carefully draws the needle out.
"Now comes the tricky part," he whispers to himself as he begins to very carefully work the label free. Once the label is off, he cleans the bottle and then applies an adhesive obtained from a local winery in Oppara, trying very hard to make it look like a good but not perfect attempt at swapping a wine label.
With the task finished, he slides the bottle back to where he found it and slips toward the privy where he will dispose of the syringe. "This would have been more fun with the lady," he comments as he exits the privy, buttoning his pants.
Swept up by the crowd, Ayalina gets separated from the other three. Although the speech had been an interesting listen, the bees had caused too much of a buzz for her to rejoin her allies. Rather, she'd been among the few who were escorted out of the immediate area, perhaps because she was in the first responders' way.
Regardless, the courtyard is closed off and she's stuck on the wrong side of the appointed meeting area. Weaving her way through crowds of people, she tries to find a way through, but ultimately gives up.
Ayalina finds herself back where she'd begun before the announcements - in the room fancifully decorated with the art of war. Given the time it had taken to even get back here to begin with, she mentally sighs but turns to her assigned task.
Might as well get it done sooner rather than later. She carefully rearranges her skirts, releasing the ties that held the topmost layer in decorative folds that revealed the bright scarlet beneath it. Once smoothed out, the skirt was a more sedate maroon.
"Now what were the names he mentioned? Centimus and Pace. Let's see" Delena whispers to herself as she walks around the senate. She notices a man matching the description he got of Centimus, but sees someone showing him an interesting clock. "Oh no, I don't know anything of those" she curses and turns away, to look for the countess instead.
Delena finds her in the gallery, and goes to try introduce herself. "Interesting speech from our princess, calling stability and change in the same sentence. One is left to wonder if the inheritance is the only thing she wants to change?" she opens, but then seems to remember something and apologizes: "Oh, but where are my manners? I am Aurelia Gatoriana, or soon to be lady Ictisos. I'm set by my poor, late father to be married this lord, although I never met him. Tradition calls me to accept this, and I agreed to this, but what would our princess choose? Or is she too radical?"
Action: Discover weakness of Countess Abrielle Pace
After the incident with the bees Thalasou finds himself in the Imperial Archives. In one corner, Duke Centimus seems to occupied with a small group of friends. Thalasou watches him discretely. Sometimes just watching someone when they don't know they're being watched can reveal a lot about their character.
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While the servants seem to appreciate quick news of the courtyard gossip, it also means a rush of work for them, and few have much interest in talking to Tiber as he accidentally gets in their way. Pavo clearly thinks he is being sneaky, moving into the kitchen while Tiber gossips, but he just as clearly gets in the way of a sous-chef with a loud temper. Fortunately, nobody cares enough to stop him from perusing the night's wine selection.
Over in the Arcade of Triumphs, Ayalina puts together a remarkable disguise, allowing her to get right next to the High Strategos' circle of nobles.
Social Round 1
Locations A2. Courtyard
NPCs Princess Eutropia Stavian I, Lady Gloriana Morilla
Effects none
Ayalina - Mission (success)
Delena - Discover Weakness (completed) -
Pavo - Mission (completed)
Thalasou - Discover Influence (completed)
Tiber - Influence A7. (+1)
Only ridiculously gauche noble clothing and fine jewelry set Countess Pace apart from any other Taldan. Her face is usually in a smile, though it quickly flashes a sneer as well. She has short but well-kept brown hair locked back in a stylized bun.
"Gatoriana? Ictisos? I've never heard of those farmers." The Countess spins in place, showing her back to Delena, then looking around the room for a couple of seconds.
"Grand Duke Avernathus. Oh, Grand Duke! How lovely to see you." She quickly walks toward the white-haired man, asking "Did you hear about those fortuitous bees in the courtyard? They interrupted Eutropia's scandalous speech!"
With a round face and a few extra pounds, the half-elf looks very different from the waifish ladies' man he used to be, before the accident that put him in a wheelchair.
Thalasou notices that the Duke treats his handicap as a challenge rather than an obstacle, and seems to enjoy it. He also shows a specific interest in Goka, where his great-grandfather originally hailed from.
During a lull in the conversation, Thalasou takes the opportunity to approach the duke. "Hello sir, my name is Thalasou. I've heard much about you and it's finally a pleasure to meet you." He glances at the wheelchair. "It is truly inspiring to meet someone like you." Thalasou thinks about his own disability. It is not nearly as visible as that which the duke has but he feels it none the less.
Examining a suit of armor - one that she'd only briefly glanced at earlier, she tries to hear what the Gigh Strategos is speaking about with his crowd of nobles. Ayalina knows better than to speak up or ask questions here - discretion is the better part of valor and all that.
She leans forward to see if there's a placard or some sort of description as to what this particular piece had been used for as she listens. Simply staring at an object would hardly help her if someone noticed her presence, after all. She needed to be immersed in something - so obviously distracted that she wasn't listening.
Delena leaves the countess and searches for Thalasou to discuss who might be an opponent to Eutropia. Arriving just as Thalasou is complimenting the Duke, Delena joins in: "Yes, I too have heard of your inspiring spirit. I just discussed with the countess how you are a prime example of Taldan perseverance. I wish my husband-to-be would be even half as strong."
When the duke's attention is momentarily on someone else, Delena whispers Thalasou: "Had a chat with the countess. Shifty woman, cannot say what she votes as she tended to agree with the most important person regardless of the opinion."
His attempt to flit in and out of the kitchen inconspicuously foiled by the fiery sous-chef, he lingers among the halls. He corners waiters and maids where he can and presses them for useful information, leveraging his nobility to force their compliance.
Tiber has a foot out the door when he spies Pavo cornering some of the wait staff. As each one is released from Pavo's noble barrage, he makes a point to help them on their way with their first task.
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"Thank you." The Duke replies, running a hand along the arm of his wheelchair, as if polishing it. "I've made quite a few improvements to her myself. One day, I'll race her against a horse!"
A minute later, he smiles at Delena, "You're most kind! I wish others understood as well as you. Pray tell, which countess do you speak of?"
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Social Round 3
Locations A2. Courtyard
NPCs Princess Eutropia Stavian I, Lady Gloriana Morilla
Effects none
Ayalina - Mission (failure)
Delena - Influence Centimus (success)
Pavo - Influence A7 (+8)
Thalasou - Influence Centimus (success)
Tiber - Influence A7 (+5)
Ayalina makes a few adjustments to her disguise before trying to follow around Pythareus more, but she forgets to alter her clothing at all, and quickly fades away into the crowd after drawing a couple of long looks from one of the High Strategos' aides.
Just outside the servants' area, Pavo finds two butlers harassing a maid, and quickly reverses the situation. Even luckier for him, Tiber shows up to console the girl, guaranteeing a quick spread of her tale. And as if that weren't lucky enough, the maid is one of the head cook's many daughters. To show her appreciation, the mother gives Pavo and Tiber one potion each, "in case their enemies cook, too".
Pavo makes his way from the servants area back to the Senate floor. Spying Kalbio, he makes his way toward the nobility-bound weaver. "Kalbio?" he says, stepping up to the man. "Please allow me to add my infinitesimally premature welcome to the aristocracy. There were rumors that the Prince intended to ellevate an Ulfen again, not that there is anything wrong with that. Your work is quite detailed and certainly derserving of recognition."
Thalasou smiles and nods at Delena when she tells him about the countess. He replies back to her quietly. "I guess I'll have to try to apply some of my own charm. Last I heard, she was out in the gallery." He turns his attention back to the duke. "Race a horse, really? That would be something to see."
Seeing that Delena is keeping the duke occupied he slips away and works towards the gallery where he quickly finds the countess. At the moment, no one else seems to be talking with her. He approaches with a deep bow. "Good evening, madam. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Delena jumps a bit and puts her hand over her mouth. "I promised I wouldn't say that! I am sorry, at least I can hide her name. But you might have an admirer. I don't even know how the discussion turned to you, I was trying to discuss the vote then. I'm a bit torn, as tradition means stability, for me it means marrying the man my father chose. But then I'm tied even if I found a most remarkable man", Delena continues to flatter the duke, trying to spot his allegiances from minute changes in his expressions.
Beaming, Tiber graciously accepts the potion and strides confidently out into the Senate Floor. Now where is that Lady Lotheed... He scans each of the rooms quickly in search of their patron. Hopefully it isn't too late for me to be of use...
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Aware of the strange looks she's getting, Ayalina tries adjusting her position but she isn't quite as comfortable with her distance. While she'd thought she'd heard something useful, further discourse revealed the topic to be of a particularly flatulent peer.
Kalbio uncomfortably wears clothing of noble finery, constantly fidgeting with the cuffs or scratching at his neck. His calloused hands, simple hair style, and sun-beaten face all set him apart, as does his broad, genuine smile.
"Th-th-thank you," the weaver stutters. He extends a shaky hand, then quickly pulls it back. "S-sorry. I don't know how to greet--greet a n-noble."
"Countess Pace," the lady corrects Thalasou, "If you're looking for a madam, try Westport."
She immediately walks away, but Thalasou still manages to learn several things from overheard snippets of conversation.
At the mention of a secret admirer, the Duke's skin reddens a little and he starts looking down at his wheelchair instead of at Delena. "Women are so wonderful. They're the most complex machines of all! I still haven't figured them out, though."
Tiber finds his employer in the gallery, and follows her to the Emperor's Hall, where she quickly writes and seals a letter. "Deliver this to Count Orlundo Zespire in the archives. The senator has light brown hair turning to gray and slicked back. I believe he wore a green doublet today."
Once there, the Count tells Tiber to stay while he composes a response.
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Social Round 4
Locations A2. Courtyard
NPCs Princess Eutropia Stavian I, Lady Gloriana Morilla
Effects A7 Awards 1 & 2
Ayalina - Mission (failure)
Delena - Discover Centimus (failure)
Pavo - Influence Kalbio (failure)
Thalasou - Discover Pace (success)
Tiber - Mission (success)
The third time is definitely not charmed for Ayalina, as she is quickly shunned and shunted to the corner of the Arcade.
Pavo smiles warmly and grabs the weaver's hand before it can fully withdraw. "You'll find it's much easier when you realize that nobles are just people the same as anyone who happened to be born into power or wealth," the rake says and releases Kalbio's hand with a friendly slap on the shoulder. "Well, wealth often is power. But enough about that!
"Tell me about your work. I have seen it everywhere the Stavians have made their mark. The detailing is exquisite and the composition inspired," he says, transitioning the subject. "Have you had the opportunity to be inspired by other artists or is it solely your own special muse?"
Tiber nods his head. "Of course!" he says warmly. While waiting for her to complete her letter, he takes the moment to smooth over his appearance.
Once he receives the letter, he stows it safely in his satchel and heads straight for the Archives. Green doublet, green doublet, green doublet... Only once he spies his mark does he retrieve the stowed letter and make an attempt to deliver. Can't be too careful here...
"Count Orlundo Zespire!" he says with a bow. "I hope you are finding tonight's events enjoyable. If it pleases you, I have a letter here for your consideration." Tiber shifts a little uncomfortably as he waits.
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to influence the area.
A bit discouraged, Ayalina decides to change tack. Perhaps she would do better if she was considered more naturally present rather than an oddity. Maybe I ought to have left this to someone more martially inclined, she thinks wryly as she takes care to round the area, pausing to try including herself in the occasional conversation when the topic is something she can speak on.
All songs and well-loved stories are known to bards, after all, so for all she's out of place, she's at least not ignorant of all the room means.
"The ballad for this sword is well-loved. It was requested three times in the span of only one afternoon yesterday!"
As other inspiring nobles come to try influence the Duke, Delena discreetly fades away from him. She starts walking toward the senate hall, but then notices something in the bookshelf next to her. "What? I thought these all were lost!" she exclaims and pulls out the book, then browsing through it quickly. "And next to that useless trash, even. Disriana, go look if there are some more gems around here", she tells her snake and reaches up to let it slither up her arm into the bookshelf.
"That red one is good too, could you get it?" she says to another passer-by who seems interested in the books, pointing at a big book a few shelves away.
Influencing an Area (A5) Imperial Archives
Thalasou watches the countess move away. He debates with himself and considers chasing after her. However, considering her brusque manner, he thinks it would be better to wait and try with her again later. He moves back to the duke but this time with the intention of finding out his stance on Eutropia's proposition.
He nods at Delena as he reenters the archives.
"Whew!" he says as he finds a spot near the duke. "It's positively dangerous to be walking around out there. I mean, half of them are in favor of the princess's agenda and the other half are not. Get between the wrong two people and you might die just from the daggers passing between their eyes." Thalasou chuckles and takes a sip from the drink he's holding. "Know what I mean?" he directs a knowing question at the duke, leaving the door open for the portly man to offer his opinion.
Kalbio gasps at Pavo's claim, "No, that c-can't--it can't be true! Everybody knows nobles are different and b-better."
Pavo's question gets a very different response, though. "T-th-thank you. My weaving skills are purdy good, if I may say so myself. My specialty is a kilim that's as strong as soumak, but still thin."
"Truer words and all, no?" The Duke answers Thalasou. "Though my reasons for supporting Eutropia are personal and ethical, I suspect most of my peers in the Senate have reasons that are political and selfish."
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Social Round N/A
Locations A2. Courtyard
NPCs Princess Eutropia Stavian I, Lady Gloriana Morilla
Effects A5 #1
Ayalina - Influence A1 (+7)
Delena - Influence A5 (+11)
Pavo - Discover Kalbio (double success)
Thalasou - Mission (success)
Tiber - Mission (success)
Count Zespire reads Martella's scroll in silence, then sits quietly for a minute before writing his response. "Courier, please deliver this to the Junior Senator Duo in the gallery."
Changing back to her own appearance, Ayalina quickly finds a couple of talkative military aides, and learns a lot from their arguments with each other.
Delena somehow finds a copy of Numair Salmalin's Letters to the Wild Mage Daine that was thought missing and lost, and combined with her knowledge of Salmalin's other works, she gathers a large crowd of interested aides and even one senator!
Each of you suddenly receives a telepathic communication from Martella, asking you to meet her in the gallery. When you first arrive, she is grinning and clapping gently as she watches one of the jugglers, but hurriedly composes herself and assumes an elegant, yet blank pose.
She has sectioned off a small meeting point on the upper walkways with chairs and a pot of fresh coffee, and begins as soon as the last person arrives. "I hear that you have done quite well making friends with the servants and our noble-to-be from Breezy Creek. In truth, I think you have accomplished as much as would be possible on those fronts."
Martella puts two sugars in her coffee and says, "Now, tell me of the other fronts in our little war."
On hearing the telepathic call, Delena apologizes her crowd: "Excuse me, I am needed elsewhere. I'll leave you to adventure more in this uncatalogued mess, and make sure it is in better order when you leave than when you came. She reaches to the shelf Disriana is on, and the viper slithers down her arm and around her neck. Delena then heads to the gallery.
When Delena comes to Martella, she takes a cup of coffee and sits down on one of the chairs. "Well, our front is still partly covered in fog of war, as we are still trying to find out who of these liars and traitors are against us and who are lying the same lies as we are, she says with a mischievous smile. "And some noblewomen are even meaner than I am, genuinely surpising", she continues and takes a sip of coffee.
"Well, they are beautiful," Pavo says to Kalbio. "Why don't we meet a few of your soon to be peers. Maybe I can show you how to pierce their masks of superi--"
He pauses, suddenly distracted. With a rueful smile and a sigh, he turns back to Kalbio. "I'm afraid that I have attend to something, but I will find you again, if that's alright with you. Just-- Just keep in mind that even though nobles are just people, people can be cruel, so if the people you run into here want to be treated like they're better than you, better to just play along. But never forget your own worth."
He breaks away from Kalbio with a companionably pat on the arm to make his way to the gardens.
In the gardens, approaching Martella, he seems guarded. However, after an errant glance at the railing, he relaxes and chuckles to himself. "I have taken care of the gift for your half-brothers. I was about to make another run at the nobles stuffing themselves into senate seats. Unless I am needed elsewhere."
Relieved to have gotten somewhere, she smiles and thanks the advisors before excusing herself from the conversation. There was no sense in overstaying and tipping her hand, after all. This... was nerve-wracking. She wasn't really sure how to handle herself with all of these military types - they were just so stiff!
She almost wanted to whirl one or two around to teach them how to dance. Goodness.
It was time for a breather - she wasn't quite sure she'd thrown off the High Strategos' more careful advisors. Slipping outside, she was pleased to see Tiber and Pavo. Although she wanted to go and speak with them immediately, common sense kicked in and she chose not to. They, too, were in the midst of their own conversations.
...I really am slacking, she can't help but think. A bit bolstered by the sight of her companions, she returns to the Arcade of Triumphs and gives the gathering of people there another go, trying to engage them in conversation again.
"What are your opinions on the use of bardic abilities in combat?"
Stowing the letter he received for Junior Senator Duo, Tiber quickly makes his way to the gallery. On his way, he spies Ayalina still trying to shmooze over a crowd of people.
"Pardon me, madam, but your presence has been requested elsewhere. Shall we?" he asks, offering his arm and walking her to the gallery. "I assure you fine people that she will be able to return shortly and resume this conversation." he calls over his shoulder.
"Didn't you get the Lady's summons? I'm sorry for interrupting you, but I didn't think this was optional for us!" he whispers as they walk. Once they are clear of any of the onlookers in the Arcade, he drops his arm and simply walks with Ayalina.
"I'm afraid I have not much else to report than what you've alredy gathered. After spending time in the Servant's Area, I've been working as your courier," Tiber explains. Spying a familiar site on the railing, he raises an exaggerated eyebrow while pointing to the brass cricket and making eye contact with Lady Lotheed.
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