Unmasking the Artisans Sessions 45-47
General Summary
Our Party
| Name | Race | Profession |
|---|---|---|
| Bostwick | Half-Orc | Enforcer |
| Cassius | Human | Noble |
| Daniel | Human | Scholar |
| Gloria | Dwarf | Soldier |
| John Wrench | Air Genoran | Entrepreneur |
Ego Attacks!
While the Chiaroscuro had been winding down from their prior conflict, Ego made a surprise attack. Despite the raid, Ego primarily tried to keep his attention on John though he kept being slippery for the most part. The party did manage to defeat Ego, albeit, the metal framework that kept his spirit tethered. The violent soul would then return to the Artisans where he is bound.
My chassis may be broken but I cannot rest! Until John dies, I will only return again and again!
In the aftermath, the party insisted that Alviera and Calvaire head back to their people and rally them while they headed off to Doven.
Doven, Enemy Territory
The air shifts as you approach Doven, the boundless expanse of the continent giving way to the unmistakable scent of damp earth and distant industry. Rolling hills, neatly parceled by ancient stone walls and hedgerows, emerge from a persistent mist that clings to the landscape like a memory. Clustered villages, a patchwork of timber and brick, huddle around the stoic spires of churches whose bells, even from afar, ring with a measured solemnity. The roads, though improved by the age's industry, still wind with the patient rhythm of centuries, leading deeper into a land that feels both intimately familiar and profoundly steeped in unspoken history. This isn't the wild, untamed frontier, but a realm of ordered beauty and quiet endurance, where every shadow might hold a story and every stone a secret.
Thaddeus' Strategy
Dunsmore suspected that the best means to rally the parliament is to clear away conspiracies and rumors so that they may have a cohesive mind during negotiations.
The Lie about the Pie
The party investigated the rumor about Travis Wheaton, a popular baker for noble parties and gatherings, is suspected of poisoning Miss Pepperworth. Investigating the very source, a rival baker, she explained she saw Pepperworth run outside vomiting down the sidewalk in a hurry.
Well. Time to follow the yellow brick road...
The party proceeded to follow the vomit stains and found her house. There, Elder Pepperworth was there with children. Turned out Miss Pepperworth was fine, and simply had a flu. She's fine actually. She was off in vacation leaving her children at her grandmother's.
The Judge and the Fudge
The party investigated the case of Judge Thorten. A whistleblower, an assistant to Thorton, pointed out that he had to have been taking bribes of some sort, considering he saw two unmarked packages. One arrived in broad daylight in his office while the other was late at night at his mailbox. The unmarked delivery car had to be one of Joyden's cars without the paint job.
The party investigated Joyden's whimsical sweets store. By interrogating Joyden himself, they came to learn that Joyden does unmarked deliveries for customers who have guilty pleasures. The party then also conspired with the Constabulary to watch over the next delivery.
Sure enough, Joyden's truck arrived and delivered another box. The party and the constables pounced. Unveiling the box inside, they came to find... fudge. Turned out that Thorton was arraning a deal with Joyden to deliver his favorite fudge so his wife wouldn't see. For poor Thorton, his wife came to investigate the racket and certainly made him sleep on the couch for the night.
Mournival Showing: The Cycle of Suffering
The stage lights flash on to showcase a massive figure of Vildramus, the six-horned demon over Inferna, looking down as Doveners charge forward, defeating the Corderan squad, then withdrawing back to the left side of the stage. The wounded Corderans bitterly get back up as they struggle to heal each other.
The statue grins.
The Corderans, invigorated by a new, resentful resolve, attack this time instead.
As the Dovener army falters, the Corderans cackle at their new victory. A hesitant, lone blether commander takes a step back, shocked by the carnage, "This can't continue! This will only make things worse!" he cries.
The soldiers scowl, "Shut it!" and without thought, the blether is shot as the Corderans head back to their side of the stage.
The statue's grin grows wider.
The Doveners, once they get back on their feet, push away their angelic support, opting for the same resentful resolve of the Corderans invoked. The two factions clash in a bloody mess. Vildramus cackles, amused by the scene. But his laughing comes to a stop as he surveys the piles of bodies on the stage, for there are no more people to twist. Now bored, the demon quietly walks off the stage.
The Sage lets out a sigh as the Directors step onto the stage, "Violence and the pursuit of dominance, makes him happy, doesn't it?"
Critic: Oh, it's only more precious when demons break their own toys and can't have their way anymore.
Sage: Maybe... there is a way for the cycle to end? A very strange act that's peculiar to most people.
Critic: What could possibly remedy years of pain, of time spent to countless suffering?
The dead soldier actors then stand up, looking at each other wearily.
Sage: Compassion. Mercy. Benevolence.
There's a long, drawn out silence. Laughter erupts from the Actors, the Directors, and all areas of the theater.
As the crowd dies down, so too does the lighting fade to darkness.
The light flashes back on to the Critic. "That is all for today's showing. Come again another time."
A Return to Silly Investigations
The Sword for the Lord
The party's next task was to help prove the capability of a sector in the army that they could complete complex tasks. With the latest venture, they decided to reclaim a missing family sword for an important noble. Leading the team, would be Skritchen...
John posed as Skritchen's dwarf-roden child and Gloria playing along. The two managed to horrifically traumatize the captain by choking him out and spooking him into having a child.
Despite the trauma, they still insisted Skritchen lead the expedition team to reclaim the sword.
