Session 52: Going for the Goldschlager


 * It's early evening.
 * Sam comes downstairs, yawns and says the night was rough. He says the Karrnathi princess is here, and she and von Pappen talked for a long time. Then he notices burning parchment.
 * Vikrit mentions the pool table is looking like it will need some cleanup and Tork casually stands in the way when Sam tries to go in. Eventually he gets by and he sees the missing scrolls, shavings everywhere, and blood all over the table. He freaks out and tells us to go somewhere else. Tork tries to prestidigitate the blood away but there's too much, and Vikrit goes to try to save some of the records from the fire, but they're already too burnt.
 * We decide to call Yanger. Kalti picks up and Vikrit says we're going to come to dinner tonight. He seems happy that we're going to come to dinner, and Cornerio asks (maliciously) about his mental health.
 * We all change into fancier clothes (Vikrit is still wearing his armor underneath Sam's fancier clothes; Tork casts Greater Mage armor on himself; Sarienne has lots of daggers) and decide to bring some wine.
 * We head to the Aundarian night markets to buy some. After some waffling, we get a 6 gold bottle of wine; Cornerio goes back to buy some shitty Karrnathi Goldschlager.
 * Cornerio gets a CANVAS bag for his goldschlager and a BURLAP bag as a gift bag for the wine.
 * We review what we know about Lord Darro with the party, re: the student uprising at Wynarn University. We know he's the 3rd most powerful man in Aundair and is heading the Redemption faction intending to invade Thrane and take back Thaliost.
 * We arrive at the palace.
 * There's a half-orc House Deneith guard at the front. Vesun introduces himself as Worthington and says we're here to see Yanger and Darro. After Vesun catches him leaving the 'Lord' off Darro and he gets nervous and tells us where to go.
 * We head to Darro's fancy-ass quarters. We spot Yanger and greet him. He pulls us into a bathroom to talk. He says Darro wants to force him to help the Aundarian army and Kalti has been crying himself to sleep.
 * Yanger mentions getting into the Mror Holds and Vikrit mentions we've seen Jana and Konstadin here. Yanger says we need to convince him or do whatever he's suggesting in order to trade for passage.
 * We are all seated before Darro comes in.
 * We have a first course with fancy pheasant; Yanger doesn't eat but Cornerio scarfs down a leg.
 * Darro is tall and spindly, introduced by 2 half-elf valets. He doesn't recognize (disguised) Vesun when he stands up and bows. Darro says it's been a long time and he's a forward-looking man, and thought this thorn in his side would work itself out but it hasn't; he looks pointedly at Yanger.
 * He asks why we've been poking our noses in various things. Vesun says we're simple people looking into things related to the fate of the world. He is clearly humiliating Yanger and mentions how he was involved with Yanger's successes and failures.
 * Darro then asks us while we eat to explain what we know about this "fate of the world" thing. Vesun isn't sure whether he's trying to catch us in a lie (which is what Tork thinks) or whether he doesn't know much. Cornerio casts Detect Thoughts and only finds boredom or annoyance.
 * Vesun mentions disturbances in Sharn and the faewild. Darro suggests some death cult is trying to do something or that we are trying to do something we don't understand, and our mistakes are "explosive".
 * He asks who we're working for and suggests enemy nations. Vikrit snorts, and Vanesse says we're working for the Shadow. Vesun says it's not worth listening to her and that we've been pushed around by various sources--truthfully.
 * The servants take away the 3rd course at Darro's behest; he says we're useless to him and says we can leave, and he will talk to Algernon (Yanger).
 * Vesun stops and mentions that we might be helpful. We are currently being pushed about by someone who might become their enemy; he says we've been press-ganged by the Braelish.
 * Darro suddenly seems a little nervous that he's surrounded by 6 spies; Vesun says we're not here to hurt him and basically that we're here for intelligence about the conference. Darro dismisses Yanger and says that he and Kalti should leave the palace.
 * Vesun says the Braelish are undecided on how they may intervene on any events that may pass. Vikrit mentions that we're sympathetic to his cause. He suggests we need to contact our handlers to make a handshake before the queen arrives in 1 week's time. (He seems fixing to punish Cornerio; who can blame him?)
 * Darro says we've done him a favor and wants to know what we want; Vikrit suggests entry into the Mror Holds. Vesun asks if anyone else has asked the same, and he mentions a few petitioners who he refused recently. Vesun doesn't give it away and acts like the Stargazers are our competitors for treasure; Darro eats it up and asks that we bring word of a meeting with the Prince soon, and dismisses us (after issuing a threat to Cornerio).
 * We find Kalti and Yanger outside. Yanger says they have a hotel room down the street in the Aundarian quarter, but it's the one where Jana is staying, so Vesun suggests they find a different one and he settles the bill for them. They decide to stay on our ship instead.
 * Yanger asks what we told him to get him off the hook, and we are vague. We say if he needs to contact us, to use the cube.
 * Kalti mentions he has mail for us--we have letters.
 * We arrive at home with Sam and von Pappen standing at the top of the stairs.
 * Von Pappen carefully says there were some "difficulties" in the rec room. He's unhappy but he has agreed to give us one more chance. He stiffly heads into the library. Sam reiterates that he doesn't want us to bring work stuff home, and that von Pappen is really mad about the books and records being gone.
 * We discuss who could've possibly burned the records; Cornerio maintains a pokerface. Vikrit and Vesun set up alarm spells in case the perpetrator comes back.
 * At about 2:00 am, all of us except Cornerio awaken underwater in a word that seems a dream.
 * We are able to breathe. Vikrit examines a big skeleton on the ground. There appears to be an entrance to a cave nearby. Tork pinches Vikrit and it hurts; he casts Ghost Sound and it's unclear whether it works. Vesun tries to cast Summon Monster I and it works--there's a fiendish octopus. We hear a DING DING DING, like the bell at a wrestling match.
 * Vesun casts Freedom of Movement on himself, and 2 kopru emerge from the cave. We've seen creatures like this in Mavadorop's lake (as an illusion).
 * SarieNPC swims down underneath the skeleton to pop out at the enemies. Vanesse starts summoning. MogeNPC sets up her gun. The kopru swim toward us. Vesun moves up to meet them and the octopus moves up to grapple one of the kopru. Tork force claws them. Vikrit ineffectually Blinding Spittles them. Vanesse Bull's Strengths herself.
 * Sarienne rakes one with a sickle. Vanesse's octopus appears and tries to grapple the kopru. Mogen shoots it. The kopru attack Sarienne and one of the octopuses. Vesun whacks at one of the kopru. Vikrit starts Summoning Nature Ally III for a tiger shark. Tork fists one of the kopru.
 * Sarienne digs in with the sickles and kills it. Vanesse and her octopus attack the other kopru. Mogen reloads her rifle; the kopru destroys Vanesse's octopus and whacks Vanesse. Vikrit's tiger shark chomps the kopru and he tries to get a better view on the cave but rolls a 1. Tork magic missiles the kopru to death.
 * We hear another DING DING DING and some silence. Vesun moves up to the cave and sees 2 more kopru in the cave with huge tridents, and a big rift in the cave. He casts Bull's Strength on Sarienne and Bear's Endurance on Vanesse. We move up to the cave entrance and prepare to be attacked; we hear Mavadorop's booming voice tell us, "YES, YES! FIGHT! KILL! SURVIVE!"