Session 3.5

With only two months left until the end of the Brisbanium, the party sets off to try to expand their diplomatic reach first stopping by their neighboring nation of Cardona, and their current leader Sovereign Raynaud Andromeda. The party’s visit just so happened to be during La Carnivale, a weekly celebration of the city. After only a few days in the city, the party had managed to enjoy the festivities while also brokering both an economic alliance (in opening trade and tourism) and a non-aggression pact (in which during time of war neither city would attack each other) with Sovereign Raynaud, in exchange for trade and the party’s support of his rule.   However, as the party spent more time in Cardona, they began to uncover a potentially more insidious case with regards to the former sovereign, Sovereign Philomena Andromeda. Through information from a bard named Serafin Quell, Zhorn, Fannti, Soren, and Caspian were piecing together that Sovereign Philomena might not be as injured as the stories coming out of the Palace wanted the public to believe, and her younger brother, the acting sovereign, Raynaud, had something to do with it.   With their primary goal achieved, the group had discussed amongst themselves whether they should involve themselves with this internal city conflict. Ultimately, the party had decided to spend one more day in the city after witnessing a weakened Sovereign Raynaud being dragged into the Palace late at night by the palace guard, the Sable Sentinels. While investigating the palace and staff, the party learned that there have been a few instances where Sovereign Raynaud returns to the palace in a weakened state. The following day, the group decided to take part in more games of chance before heading to the Tide Mother’s chapel in the religious district. There Caspian and Fannti made offerings with Fannti hoping to subtly gain more information on the Sovereign potentially getting treated by a healer of the temple, however, there was no relation between the two.   Later in the early evening, as the party was returning to the Palace, they were intercepted by Serafin Quell who brough them around to the backside of the palace where they saw the Sovereign being escorted by the Sable Sentinels underneath the palace heading along the cliff’s edge under the cover of night. The group decided to follow eventually, uncovering a magical door embedded into the cliff. After disarming a trap, the party followed the corridor quite a way before the corridor opened to a cavernous chamber, where the group began to hear Gregorian style chanting. Caspian decided to take a closer look and found 20 or so hooded figures chanting looking at the ceiling above. After relaying the information to the rest of the group, Fannti deduced they were underneath the Colossus, and connected that these people were attempting to resurrect the Colossus. During their discussion, the area began to shake as Caspian noticed a slight disturbance in the base of the Colossus before going inert. With their reconnaissance completed the party decided to return to the Palace.