Session 17, The Pieces on the Board
General Summary
After Duke Jonah Bellgrave's unannounced arrival, he demanded that his daughter Lady Minerva Bellgrave be handed over. Although Duke Janis Tyrell denied that Minverva was in Treustadt, Duke Bellgrave insisted that his information network had reported her presence in the city. After some tense banter between Duchess Vesper d'Honaire, Ser Vincent Florent, and Lord Eudoris Welf, Duke Bellgrave's attention turned to Firion. Firion claimed that he must be mistaken and offered to bring the "friends" he'd arrived at the Keep with down to the Hall with to prove it. During this time, Firion was also receiving telepathic messages from Lord Tybalt Bellgrave, pleading with him to help his sister escape, promising he'd be in his debt if he succeeded.
On his way to the guest wing, he encountered Sybilla, who, for some reason, seemed to have been anticipating his arrival (Tybalt urged him to kill her if possible.) Ignoring her, he addressed Minerva and Harmonius by their fake names and made them aware of the situation. While they prepared, he visited Tiblamir's room and made him aware of the situation by using the code word they'd established when they began traveling together. He also made a half-hearted attempt to help Tiblamir escape, but was stopped by the guard watching him. Sybilla, for whatever reason, was growing increasingly aggressive, threatening Firion's life if he didn't return to the Hall. In the midst of this, one of the musicians from the Topsy Turvey Troupe (Firion recognized him as the actor who'd portrayed Percival and the Peacock King during the festival plays) suddenly appeared, claiming to have gotten lost while looking for the bathroom. Without warning, the actor somehow sneezed sand, causing Sybilla's eyes to bleed before she collapsed to the ground, whispering to Firion not to let this chance go and claiming that he owed Lady Minerva a great debt. While the guards and the actor worried over Sybilla, Firion quickly led Minerva and Harmonius down to the cellar and out of the Keep to the water's edge through the servant passages where he urged them to flee to Little Harbor. Minerva thanked Firion and Harmonius warned him not to trust Tiblamir before Firion re-entered the Keep.
Back in the guest wing, Firion returned to an empty hall. There was no sign of Sybilla, the three guards, or the Topsy Turvey Troupe member. Having been absent for nearly 20 minutes, Percival, Augustin, and other guards reached the wing in search of him. Thinking quickly, Firion stabbed himself with a knife from his tool kit and staged a crime scene, claiming that he and Sybilla had been attacked by one of the musicians from the Troupe. Percival questioned him about where Minerva and Harmonius had gone, but Firion remained tight-lipped. After being patched up, he returned to his room and went to bed, not knowing how the rest of the night played out.
The following morning, Adrian's father and older brother, Count Jukel Daxton and his eldest son, Lord Rodrik Daxton, arrived at the Keep to discuss the circumstances behind Adrian's death. Commander Lefwin also brought Vaegon to the Keep at Percival's behest to speak to his role in the events leading to the murder. Duke Tyrell explained that they had the murderer in custody, and that he'd also confessed to the crime under influence of a murderous rage brought on by the Merry Man sacks Vaegon had given him and Firion, though Duke Tyrell pointed out that the sack Firion had been given bore no trace of such enchantment. Vaegon explained how he took the sacks from the Merry Men after he'd killed them in the city, as well as his encounter with the Faceless Assassin masquerading as Adrian. At Count Jukel's request, they moved to Tiblamir's room where he told his side of the story, even accepting death as a punishment. Countess Seraphina was also brought in to arcanely determine whether Tiblamir and Vaegon were being truthful or not, with Firion insinuating that she may not be relaying the correct information. Count Jukel and Rodrik urged the Duke to execute Tiblamir for the crime, but the Tyrell's pointed out that he had been bewitched into doing it. Firion managed to persuade the Count to wait by promising he'd investigate the supposedly enchanted sacks during his hunt for the Smiling Knight. In the meantime, Percival suggested that Tiblamir be sent to Illwood Penitentiary in Port Albatross. Adrian's belongings were returned to his family, and the grieving father and son left the Keep, leaving Adrian's greatsword Steve in Firion's care.
After deciding to return to Haven the next day with Vaegon, Firion told Tiblamir what his plans were and what would become of him, making it clear that he resented him for killing Adrian and that he wasn't doing this for him. After escorting Vaegon back to his inn, he spoke to his father about how the gala had ended, learning that Duke Bellgrave had not believed the story about the musician attacking Firion, insisting that he search the Keep for his daughter. Duke Tyrell refused, and with Ser Vincent's support, he had backed down and left begrudgingly, although the manner in which he left made it clear that whatever tenuous relationship had existed between the two had been all but shattered due to the decisions made that night. Duke Tyrell worried that Duke Bellgrave would continue to pursue Minvera through Spatengrove, and Firion insisted that he prioritize Spatengrive's prosperity above everything. He also learned that the Topsy Turvey musicans who had been present at the gala had been arrested in connection with the disappearances of Sybilla and the three guards. Two of their number had gone missing; the man Firion had encountered, as well as a black Tiefling.
