Toadclobber is taking notes in his coloring book; he pretends he broke a crayon and needs to go find a replacement.
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Vesperscale follows the woman as well.
Tenpot rubs at his left eye, as if he'd gotten a speck of something in it. Quietly excusing himself, he departs to follow his allies as they tail the woman.
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The group spaces their timing out and makes their way towards the lobby, following the woman.
The tiefling woman strides up to the bar, leaning onto the counter over an empty stool. Bahvan lingers, watching from a distance.
“Do you have it,” she asks, in a whisper, “the sleep?” The bartender Kevel grins through his blond goatee warmly, reaching behind the bar and procuring a show program which looks a bit larger than the ones that have already been distributed to the audience. She takes it from him, orders a glass of red, and touches the back of her gloved right hand to the back of his.
Toad follows Aegis, drawing vocabulary notes in his coloring book.
Toad decides to try a different tack. He hops onto the stool, puts down his smooth-brain tubes, adjusts his top hat, and holds up a single finger. "Gimme a cabaret."
While he waits for the glass of red wine, he casually opens his coloring book to look at his drawing of the bloody glove's weird symbol. It's right there on the page, in strong white lines drawn over a black scribble.
He tries to casually look at the lady's gloved hand. And any other gloved hands around.
Tenpot watches the scene unfold, trying to stay just out of sight so he can be ready to react, be that springing into action or surreptitiously following the woman.
Toad runs away and tells his friends. They have the symbol on their fancy gloves!"
Vesperscale whispers "Without our weapons, we should probably keep to the subtle approach."
Tenpot emerges from his spot just around the corner, walking quietly up to Bahvan where he lingers. He leans in and quietly says "I'm glad I found you. If we're going to be ready in case of any trouble, you'd better tell me where our gear is."
"Nothing concrete as of yet. Whispers of a someone ready to frame Vir for an attack on another representative, and a glimpse of what might have been a concealed blade in the crowd. If we are to potentially step in and prevent such a thing, we had best be armed."
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Bahvan looks around nervously. "So many of them here?" He quickly tells you the stall and room he hid your weapons and armor out in. "You'll find them in a waterproof sack."
Heading over to the room you find confirmation as your weapons and armor are all in the restroom stall just as Bahvan said.
Vesperscale growls "We found most of the things, we spotted a tiefling woman with the cult mark on her glove exchanging documents with a similarly gloved bartender."
"Bahvan also watched the exchange, though he didn't seem alarmed. Concerningly, he spoke with the same woman earlier as well, and she said something about playing nice 'until we take her down'. Either he is playing a long game dealing with her, or...I hate to say it, but could he be involved with whatever her scheme is?"
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Vir clenches her fist as her face scowls in anger. "Bahvan!?" The bell chimes. "After the show, let's find him."
The audience re-congregates and the opera continues. Despite the vigorous performance between the play’s star-crossed lovers, the audience starts to yawn and tire, save for an absent Bahvan, and the conspicuous tiefling woman—reading the “program” she procured from the bar.
Toad yawns. The goblin opera has so much more explosions. "Hey we gotta stop them; reading is bad!"
He tries to sneak towards the tiefling woman.
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Toadclobber slowly gets up shaking off the sleepy feeling as he heads off towards the tiefling woman backtracking back into the lobby. There you find her, Bahvan. and the bartender conversing quite excitedly. Aegis accidentiely knocks over a stack of chairs, drawing their attention as Bahvan looks over. He frowns holding his hands up defensively.
“The Helping Hand has no wish to harm any of you,” Bahvan says. "We only want your help— Vir is not the kind of person you think she is! Give us two minutes to explain, and we could end up saving a life tonight, and many more tomorrow.” Kevel the bartender and two valets creep in from the sides, looking apprehensive about the possibility of a skirmish.
"Explain quick, then, because from where we stand you lot are a few paces onto the plank already."
Toad scratches his head; the top-hat falls off. "Uhhh… I'm really smart and junk. So explain good. Is the opera always like this?"
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Bahvan explains. "We are members of a network of Absalom servants and workers that protect each other from the aristocracy. We’ve been investigating people going missing at gatherings."
The Tiefling woman steps forward. "I found a seamstress friend named Paroma in a basement with no memory of the past fortnight. Others never returned, so we’ve planned a rescue." She pulls out a small crumpled note from her pocket which reads, “At performance’s peak, pass through curtains behind curtains behind curtains when you wish to meet.”
Tenpot and Vesperscale realize this is referencing the curtain backstage, behind the curtains that divide the main stage from the hall and those from backstage.
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Kreighton's Cognitive Crossover
"Fascinating. I've heard of things such as this before, but I'm certainly no expert in them all. In training there were those who follow the path of the Silent Whisper. If this is the case, we must maintain a disciplined mind, lest it get hijacked by the maleficent."
Reading the directions, Aegis nods, ready to pass through the curtains physically and metaphorically when the time comes.
She pulls out a small crumpled note from her pocket which reads, “At performance’s peak, pass through curtains behind curtains behind curtains when you wish to meet.”
"Huh? Why put curtains behind curtains? If you got a curtain you don't need another one. I can't believe these dumb people tricked us." Toad shakes his head. "Maybe."
"Let's say we believe you for a moment. What's your plan here? What is 'the sleep'?"
Let's go look. Toad moves behind the curtains to look around.
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Entertaining the Helping Hand's motive Toadclobber leads the group behind the back curtain to investigate what is happening. Bahvan joins, "We have a staff back there that can give you access."
He leads you down the hallways leading to the staircases down into the back of the house. A guard sympathetic to the Helping Hand provides the group with a key to the backstage area. "Thank you friend," They tap the back of their marked gloves together.
On entering, you see shadows that are unnaturally long. On the east wall, a spare curtain reflects no light and flutters despite lack of wind.
Vesperscale peers at the far curtain with no luck.
OK let's go! Toad rushes in, with his toad slicer and book in hand!
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Passing through the portal the world turs into shades of gray and brown. A woman wearing a shadowy mask and a dark cloak flecked with starlight slinks from the darkness. Despite being barely louder than a whisper, her voice echoes. “Where is Vir Zhees? Don’t tell me you’re sent to tell me that she’s not planning to hand over the merchandise? Or perhaps…” The woman grins viciously, revealing rows of too-sharp teeth. “Perhaps you are the merchandise? A bit heartier than my usual fare, but you’ll do. Come quietly, and my servants will allow you to live.”
Uhhh I thought people were getting disappeared, not merch. We are looking for the kidnappers. Sorry to bother you. Toad turns to leave.
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Vesperscale rolls their eyes at Toadclobber and grips their sword tighter, ready for combat rather than any subtlety.
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The fetchling agent chuckles. “Pity. We’ll make use of their corpses then. Kill them all.” She vanishes into shadow, and at the same time, the portal vanishes, leaving the PCs trapped in a shadowy version of the Fullbloom Opera House’s main stage. Seven fetchling agents in dark robes, each wearing masks evoking trees made of twisting shadows, drop down from above the stage, silent as twilight.
──────────
BOLD IS UP!:
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➤ Victoria
➤ Vesperscale
➤ Tenpot
➤ Aegis
Shadow Minion 1 (Red)
Shadow Minion 2 (Green)
Shadow Minion 3 (Yellow)
Shadow Minion 4 (Blue)
Shadow Minion 5 (Pink)
Shadow Minion 6 (Orange)
Toadclobber
Shadow Lieutenant (Purple)
"You won't find us the easy chum you're accustomed to, dogs!" Tenpot draws his pistol, carefully examining the nearest fetchling as he takes aim and fires.
Pistol: unloaded/loaded
Ammunition Remaining: 49