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City Reconnaissance
The session began in an abandoned villa in Epēshu, provided by Aderyn’s contact, Pahīn, to serve as a hideout. The party searched the premises, discovering old silver tableware worth approximately 750 coin, but not much else. At this time, the glyphs creating Aderyn’s illusory faces briefly malfunctioned, an unprecedented phenomenon.
Despite a brewing storm, the party ventured into the city at night, hoping to get a feel for it. They located the Epēshīn Forum, a long, rectangular plaza with a tall, marble statue of an unknown Empress in its center. Surrounding the Forum were a multitude of prestigious buildings, including the Curia where the senate assembled, the Relkhonak, the palatial villa of the surīhurūk (“governor, consul”), and the Māmban, a vast garden. As night deepened, the group returned to their base to rest.
Magical Interference
The following morning, Aderyn awoke to find that his glyphs had shut off while he slept, which concerned him. He also noted that the storm had not dissipated, for a light rain was falling on the villa’s roof.
For breakfast, Frösted prepared a delectable batch of Sjefenhold Specials. They were enjoyed by most of the party, although El refused them, declaring “I don’t eat breakfast” before falling back asleep.
In the middle of their meal, Pahīn returned bearing alarming news: his sending stone, a means of magical communication with his handler, had gone offline in the night. The party tested their own equipment. Leon’s hammer Daybreak flickered at first before shining as normal, but El’s flaming sword failed to light, suggesting a city-wide disruption of blood glyphs, a feat that hadn’t been performed since the Days of Wrath. Aderyn posited that this, as well as the unrelenting storm overhead, might be the doing of the Pilot, god of seas and storms.
Pahīn, aware only that something dire had occurred in Westerland, asked Aderyn what he meant, leading the party to reveal to him the Return of the Kembar. Pahīn was stunned, as this news had not reached Patrinor or the Ninth House. Realizing that this news needed to be relayed to his superiors, but not being able to due to his sending stone not working, Pahīn agreed to leave Epēshu to deliver the information in person.
Local Politics and Leads
Before Pahīn left, he described the political situation in the city as well as possible leads to uncovering the source of the interference.
Factions and Tensions
There is a power struggle between the city’s three main factions:
- The Populists: Led by the recently elected Surīhurūk (“governor, consul”), Hethel, this faction currently holds power. Hethel is tightening her grip over the city, taking advantage of the fact that the army (led by her political enemies) is away on campaign. The Populists have instituted many reforms to gain the loyalty of the poor, including increasing the grain doles despite recent regional famines.
- The Conservatives: This group was displaced by the Populists in the last election. They are informally led by Pebros, commander of the army on campaign. Reportedly, he is on his way home, currently camped by the ruins of Lepon some 50 miles from the city. Upon his return, the Conservatives might use the army’s loyalty to Pebros to regain power over the senate.
- The Priesthood: Based in the Blue Temple on the city’s coast, the Priesthood reveres the Pilot, who is the Epēshu’s patron deity. Ishkibal, the Tuk Lektān (“high priest”), has begun claiming that the new storm and the disruption of magic are divine omens signaling “great changes” coming on Yuleday, which is in ten days.
In addition, Pahīn described numerous disappearances in the city slums (specifically Old Quarry Lot), whose cause is unknown. He also mentioned that his partner went missing somewhere in the Paerāndas while tailing the party on their journey to Patrinor. The party did not mention the possibility that she’d been killed by Guantanamo’s floating explosives.
Main Leads
The party identified the following leads as means to investigate the source of the magical interference:
- Questioning the Surīhurūk to see if she’s hiding anything, or if she’s aware of any strange goings-on or people in the city
- The Surīhurūk rarely takes private audiences, and it is forbidden for non-senators to speak at meetings of the senate, so the party will have to find another way to speak with her
- Investigating the Tuk Lektān of the Blue Temple to determine if his “omens” are religious rhetoric or actually connected to the disruptions of glyphs
- Looking into the mysterious disappearances in Old Quarry Lot
El also revealed that the advisor she’s looking for is a female Fair Trog from the Home Islands. Pahīn mentioned Kir-Hamash, a low-level clerk in the Curia that could assist her.
Entering the Games
To secure an audience with the Surīhurūk, the group decided to enter the upcoming Games held at the Thūkīn Amphitheater. Winning these games would earn them a pot of 3600 coin and provide invitations to the Surīhurūk’s exclusive ball at the Relkhonak. As the party was making ready to leave, Guantanamo decided to stay behind in order to study his enchanted cloak and the magic disruption further.
At the amphitheater, the party officially registered as the Westermen, a team of six. These are the pseudonyms they adopted:
- Rabab — Babar
- Steak — Frösted
- DeQuan Shawnsdale Jr. III — Leon
- Īlakhon — Aderyn
- Ballcrusher — El
- Firefingers — Guantanamo (selected in his absence)
It cost them 100 coin each to attend, amounting to a total of 600 coin spent. They also learned while signing up that the Games are different every year, and that this year’s challenges will not be revealed until the Games’ beginning at sunrise the next day.
Eight days till Yuleday
5 XP