Session 51: There Will Be Blood


 * We're recovering the stolen shipment from the docks in the Aundarian quarter.
 * Mogen finds the magical items she's looking for, and notices some Eberron dragonshards in a crate marked with a fancy seal. NPC-Sarienne rolls a natural 20 on appraising them and thinks they're extremely valuable. Vikrit is very against the idea of stealing them at first, but once he sees what they are, he suggests it's our moral imperative to take them. We hide them in the portable hole and take the rest of the shipment to bring back over the border.
 * Meanwhile, disguised Vesun bumps into Jana at a hotel, who tries to quickly push past him covering something in her robes. She's heading up to the rooms. Vesun casts Invisibility on himself and Jana doesn't notice; he then casts Fly to avoid footsteps.
 * He goes to eavesdrop on her… he hears a small bell ring, shuffling, some papers moving.
 * Double meanwhile, Cornerio is in the Aundarian quarter looking to make his special Roland coins. They are questionably accurate.
 * Cornerio gets home and overhears Von Pappen freaking out at Sam about an important family heirloom missing--a small broach (crest) with 3 lilies on it is missing. There's some kind of important family meeting happening.
 * The rest of us get home and hear about it. Vikrit and Tork help look but can't find it. Cornerio plays pool around the passed-out Vanesse on the pool table and destroys some records that he thinks are boring. Mogen goes to find Von Pappen--he's tearing apart the workshop looking for the broach.
 * Sam yells that he found it and Van Pappen relaxes. Sam has changed into a courtier's uniform and he and Sam head out, leaving "Sir Neville" in charge.
 * Cornerio picks random books to flip through and throw in the fire once he's bored. Vesun pulls Tork, Vikrit, and Sarienne aside and tells them he saw Jana at an inn in the Aundair quarter. Vikrit thinks REALLY hard about what spell she cast (nat 20+8) and realizes it's alarm.
 * All 4 of us hear a pinging sound--the sound of the skull "ringing". It's Central Control.
 * Central Control explains that the current Brelish government (the 2nd Cheeseman Ministry) is going to be dissolved, and thus King Boranel has decided to act on his own and send his brother, Prince Alvin, to the upcoming peace conference in Thronehold.
 * They reveal that Prince Alvin will arrive in Thronehold in a few weeks (he's going on a hunt first) and it's imperative that we don't cause an incident and support him.
 * Given that the Karrnath and Aundair are apparently up to something together, and that the Karrnathi government is publicly backing Queen Anora's claims, Central Control claims the Brelish feel they have to support the Thranean government as a counterweight. Thus, they definitely want to avoid having Queen Anora invade and start a continent-wide war, even if it means sacrificing the Eldeen Reaches to Aundair.
 * Central Control is very concerned when Vikrit reports that the Stargazers are working with Lord Darro, as they believe it could portend some kind of alliance between the two.
 * Mogen works on her homunculus. The aesthetic: office supply centipede: legs made up of staples, a central body made up of part of a plunger rod and a stapler. It has a lightswitch on one end and the cup from the plunger at the end of a prehensile tail. It's roughly 2 feet long and 10 inches high.
 * It occurs to Mogen that maybe she shouldn't spill a bunch of blood in the same room a vampire sleeps in, so she goes to bed.
 * Vesun goes to bed too… and starts dreaming about a generic battlefield, then it suddenly dissolves and he sees a gigantic mound of sand. He's in an enormous desert with a stranded boat. The sky is pale with a purplish fog. He notices Konstadin sitting on the bluff ahead of him, and he makes his way over.
 * Konstadin says, "Useless. This is what they did with power" and gestures over the wasteland. He says they're in the Mournland, and this is what the rule of men leads to (ruin). He asks Vesun what should be so scary about the Age of Demons, and Vesun says he would prefer no masters, demon, human or otherwise. Konstadin says demons are more accommodating than mortal rulers, and everyone has a ruler--even Brazen. Vesun says, "It's about time we change that." K asks how, and Vesun says, "When I know I'll tell you."
 * He compliments Vesun as a cut above but says he doesn't "get it" and is responding with philosophy. He says 2 gates have been broken, and we are going to lose. Vesun says he's not going to join the winning team just because it's the winning team. Konstadin is disappointed and says he won't bother Vesun anymore. Vesun sasses him and says "I'm honored that I take up so much of your thoughts." and Konstadin ends the vision.
 * The next morning, Sam makes us breakfast.
 * Vikrit asks about the meeting. He says it was about the princess of Karrnath who is coming to the peace summit as the Karrnathi representative. Sam asks us about Lenore.
 * Mogen comes in and tries to steal Cornerio's sandwich but he shoves most of it into his mouth. Vikrit and Tork report about Megara when he asks about the Lost Egg--Arnold wants double sacks… it's coffee. Vikrit asks how we're supposed to get it across the border, and he says to hide it.
 * Mogen pulls Vikrit into the workroom to talk. Cornerio listens in. Mogen pulls out the homunculus and there's a dragonshard in the middle. She describes it and says she'll have to put a pint of blood into it. He stipulates that they will have to bury it in Q'barra and if it digs itself out, we can keep it. He's totally fine once she says she's putting her soul into it, since once she dies it'll be reunited anyway. Mogen gives Vikrit gloves, and he puts them on--they're medium so his claws don't poke through. They discuss whether to tell the team, and agree to.
 * Mogen calls a team meeting and calls it a surveillance drone. She says it's very important that no other creature's body parts get into it. Vikrit asks what will happen if it gets destroyed, and she says that it will really hurt her but she will probably survive. Mogen spends time cleaning the pool room to prepare it for the ritual.
 * Tork. Vikrit, Vesun, and Cornerio head to the Lost Egg.
 * Arnold is pissed and says he said we could hide things here, not people. He seems appeased when we give him his sacks of coffee.
 * We go past the stables to the hut where Megara is staying. Her dress armor is hung up and she looks like she hasn't bathed. Cornerio wakes her up by poking her with an antenna and she pulls a dagger. Vikrit gives her some rations and her demeanor changes completely.
 * Vesun goes and gets her some clothes. She asked why we helped her and doesn't understand why if we're not Throneholders. Vikrit says we have an interest in getting into the OC, and she seems reluctant if we're going to kill officers. Vesun comes back and tells her that we're trying to extract someone who will be used to derail the peace talks.
 * "Are you thieves?" "Well… we're not not thieves."
 * She says she hasn't been to the officer's club in months. There's a small room in the back with a lock from the outside that they could be keeping prisoners in, or in the bedroom upstairs. She describes the building, who frequents it--officers on R&R. Vesun asks why someone would be held there instead of in another location, and she suggests could be worried about spies.
 * She explains that she's not afraid of being executed if she gets caught because she believes she has been righteous, and doesn't seem to want us to get her papers, so we have her explain Thranean customs and she gives us her uniform.
 * She eventually agrees on a plan to get her into Freeport with Tork's borrowed papers and the hat of disguise, and Vesun accompanying. We return to HQ.
 * Mogen's ritual room is clean.
 * She's got her chair reclining with the homunculus on the table. Her left leg is paralyzed and doesn't have sensation (the other one has sensation).
 * Vikrit heats up a dagger in the fire to decontaminate it, and has a bowl of alcohol nearby. Cornerio fucks off to the library where Sam is moping and wondering what happened to the records. Cornerio lies pretty effectively but Sam rolls a natural 20 and narrows his eyes as he leaves.
 * Vikrit cuts Mogen's leg and the blood flows onto the crystal. It begins to shimmer and glow, and once enough has covered it, he casts Cure Minor Wounds to close it. After about a half-hour, Mogen becomes fully aware, and can see another field of vision.
 * Mogen says, "to me" and the creature vibrates and thrashes, then slithers along Mogen's leg. She commands it to return to the pool table and it climbs there. All of her blood has been absorbed into the dragonshard.
 * Venga tries to investigate the homunculus, and it shies away. Mogen decides to name it "Shimmer".
 * She feels Yanger's cube vibrate; Vikrit picks up and Yanger says we need to schedule the dinner to talk with Darro ASAP since he's trapped there and very uncomfortable; he's concerned about Kalti's psychological state and is very worried he's going to be forcibly work for the Aundarian army. Vikrit says don't make any moves without us confirming.


 * For the record: the pool table is soaked through with blood, and it is early evening, and you are all aware Von Pappen had a very stressful family meeting the previous night.