DIDx10

TL;DR

Here are the highlights from the session:

• The party intercepted the Marshals and tried to negotiate, but after revealing what they knew about Holis Ditani, the commandant (Ansell Culmire) attacked them -- showing that he was well aware of what was going on.
• Ansell managed to briefly describe the party to an unknown voice on the other side of his Sending Stone before they silenced him.
• Upon racing back to Rikhevlovir to stop the attack, they saw fires in the east coming from what Junyall said were likely their storehouses.

Full Summary

Making their way up the northern passage towards the surface, passing the area where they encountered the Troglodytes, the group eventually reached a large cavern that would be a good place to intercept the Marshals. Knowing they would be hostile to Junyall, she took position behind a large stalagmite while the group waiting for the Marshals to arrive. After only a half an hour, they saw a Human man emerge from the tunnel on the opposite side of the cavern, torch in hand. As several other Marshals joined him, they seemed to be majority Human -- and without darkvision to aid them, they didn't notice the party until they were almost right on top of them. Their sudden appearance startled the man, who drew his weapon and questioned them being there, saying that the grotto was off-limits and that they needed to return to the city. Zero and Rainer shouldered the responsibility of negotiating with the Marshals, initially explaining that they had been on an extended expedition, but mentioning that they had been in contact with the Deepfolk, which made the Marshals suspicious. They explained that the Deepfolk were not responsible for the attacks, which seemed to be met with mild hostility. Wondering if a member of Holis Ditani might be among the Marshals, Zero activated their Illuminator's Tattoo and wrote a message on their shield, saying that they knew a member of Holis Ditani was among the group and to "prepare the trap", but there was no response among the Marshals. The lead Marshal, who introduced himself as Ansell, asked them if they truly believed the Deepfolk weren't responsible, then he wanted to know who was; so Zero mentioned that they had done their own investigation and found evidence to suggest the involvement of a group called Holis Ditani. At the mention of the group's name, Scarf noticed that Ansell seemed to glance at one of his own, and he asked what the party knew, suggesting the group hadn't been activate in Dolenna for years. Zero began to list the names and situations they had encountered during their investigation, and Scarf began to notice the Marshals in the back with their hands slowly reaching for their weapons. Zero concluded by mentioning the auction they had witnessed in Obscurus, and at this, Ansell seemed to change his demeanor. Scarf decided to call out Ansell on his men's aggressive movements, and Ansell seemed to shed the facade, saying that he was the commandant, not a con man, before telling his men to kill the party.

Almost immediately, Scarf noticed that Toban had vanished, and immediately suspected him to be a traitor. However, after trading a few blows with the Marshals, Shein noticed Toban's heat signature scrambling under Ansell's legs before reappearing behind him and stabbing him in the back. The battle ended quickly, but the party took quite a few blows, and as they slowly dispatched the Marshals, Zero noticed Ansell looking as if he was ready to flee. Zero quickly responded by casting Hold Person on him, paralyzing him. As the group fought the remaining Marshals, Ansell managed to break the spell's hold over him and began to run. However, Toban withdrew a fancy dagger from its sheathe and ran ahead of Ansell, stabbing it into the ground, where his shadow was being cast by the torches carried by the Marshals. Immediately, Ansell froze in place, unable to move. Rainer used Misty Step to catch up and clocked Ansell across the head with a Booming Blade attack, and Scarf threw a Flow dagger at him, accidentally killing him. As the group began to search his belongings, they found a Sending Stone and a Signet Ring, unfortunately confirming his identity as the Commandant of Dolenna's Marshals. Not wanting to go back to the city or the Deepfolk empty-handed, Zero decided to cast Revivify to bring Ansell back. As he began to revive, Shein tied him up. As they began to question him, he initially seemed ready to talk, but there was a sudden buzzing from the Sending Stone nearby, and they heard a woman's voice asking Ansell for an update, saying that "Rachonn" and "Solomon" had taken position outside Rikhevlovir and were ready to attack. There was a brief moment of tension, and Ansell shouted out rapid-fire that the operation had been compromised and briefly described the party composition before Zero managed to silence him. Zero seemed ready to finish him off, but Rainer stopped them, saying that they needed a witness of some kind. Agreeing, they gathered their things and began to race back to Rikhevlovir to stop the attack. As they eventually arrived in the village hours later, they could smell smoke and see fires coming from buildings off to the distance in the east. Junyall seemed to indicate they were coming from the direction of their storehouses, where they kept their resources, including their food.