3-4.08.2024 - physical - Scribe-5 - The Trial of Lorladon

Arnini's Lab

• Cantrips
  • Mending
  • Shocking Grasp*
• 1st level
  • Absorb Elements
  • Cure Wounds**
  • Detect Magic*
  • Identify*
• 2nd level
  • Aid**
  • Enhance Ability**
  • Enlarge/Reduce
  • Pyrotechnics
• 3rd level
  • Dispel Magic*
  • Fly
  • Tiny Servant
  • Intellect Fortress (found by Void)
• 4th level
  • Arcane Eye
  • Summon Construct
• 5th level
  • Skill Empowerment

Preparing for the Trial

Brainstorming

• Prosecutor Dullsworth - Half-elf, incredibly (intentionally?) unremarkable
• Coty is a witness, we're invited to discuss our wishes/plans for how the trial will go. And be informed of potential outcomes.
• Asked if we have any more evidence.
  • His bag of holding with terrible contents
  • The runes from the experiments done on Coty
  • Lorladon's butler's statements
  • Coty's testimony
  • Ulutiu (the god) - Might be able to use Coty's spear
  • Desa's testimony - Blackmail, eggs
• When we caught Lorladon he was trying to collect ice, like the other elements from the other kids (air, earth, fire)

Coty's "Dream"

• Coty wakes up in her old dorm, it feels very real
• The room is huge, with a lot of beds clumped together. Walls and furniture are sparse and utilitarian
• There are some empty spaces where there should be beds but aren't
• Three other children are there: two halflings, 1 dwarf, 10-15 y/o, two boys, one girl
• Void, Bucket and Scribes suddenly wake up in the bodies of the kids (Scribe was awake dealing with her book, so it is quite jarring)
  • Bucket/Helfo - Hafling boy, strong, brown hair -> Earth
  • Void/Loinlarv - Dwarf boy, translucent skin, white moving hair -> Air
  • Scribes/Joanne - Hafling girl, bald but smoky hair, green eyes -> Fire
• The bed beside Coty is disturbed, but empty. It is labelled Ulreth
• Bucket is distraught that he is not in his armor
• Scribes still has her spells, but Void doesn't. He can't hear his patron. But he can shift his arm like before he became a tiefling
• Coty says she has had recent memory issues
• We feel like our magic is limited as 10 y/o's (cantrip - 2nd lvl)
• Coty feels some urgency, so Bucket smashes a bed for a weapon. This causes the butler to burst into the room, yelling at us.
• "It's five in the morning. Time for morning training"
• We try to convince Bucket to play along. Void bluffs that it was just a nightmare causing Helfo to act like that
• Lorladon waits in the training area.
• He looks straight at Coty: "Coty, remember. Ice and water, like we discussed."
• In the yard there is a hafling-sized fire elemental smelling the flowers
• Coty tries to cast Ray of Frost on it, it looks confused and hurt. We fight it:
  • Void is able to use air that he couldn't before
  • Bucket puts up an earth wall
  • The elemental spits fire on us
  • Coty whispers and gets smacked by the butler, who tells Lorladon that Ulreth has run off again. "You know what to do" he responds
  • Coty Frostbites it, and it defends itself with a smokescreen
  • Scribes tries to connect to the elemental. It's mind connects and Scribes lets it. It feels like her mind is on fire, and it steps 10 ft. closer (out of the smokescreen)
  • Lorladon compliments her on it. Pointing out that it will be useful
  • Void gives everyone Tailwind (+ 10ft. movement). Receives compliment
  • Bucket makes a stalagmite spear and rushes in. Nat 1

    • I'm sorry Sir. He is dumb as a rock, but sometimes he exeeds our expectations.

  • The elemental goes to hug Scribes. Coty feels a call: "Family", and makes ice on the floor to stop it
  • It stops 5 ft. from Scribes. Looking to Coty, then Scribes it crumples
  • The smoke from it says to Coty: "Thank you. We are family. We stand up for eachother. He has a hold on you. Here, this will break it"
  • She feels a lump of hot coal in her pocket
• Lorladon praises Coty, and tells the rest to go eat breakfast
• Void is worried, asking Coty if she remembers this, after creating a field of sound-isolating air
• She remembers something bad happening, but not much else
• Lorladon sighs and seems to slow down everything except for him and Coty
  • He says he needs her help. Since Ulreth has evaded him, plans must be set in motion. "There's something you must know about your brother and your so called allies. If you want to know more, make sure this trial goed well."
  • Only Void and Coty can hear this.
  • Coty says she will try to get a good result
  • He wants her to free him. When she avoids it he attacks Void
  • Coty subtly touches the lump of coal to Lorladon. He catches fire and we get pulled out of the dream

Aftermath

• Coty rushes to wake Scribes and Void
• She tells Scribes that dreams aren't usually shared
• Bucket is frantically polishing his armor
• Void's patron tells him that someone took his mind
• Coty shows Scribes the symbols appearing in ice under her after her visions. A snow bunny appears and does bunny things
• She theorizes that she made the dream. Going into the bath she tries to commune with Ulutiu by filling the bathtub with ice. The bunny answer
• "You know he did it right? To protect you against that bad guy" -> Ulutiu protected her against the bad guy trying to get to her
• The elemental was a kid, but it wasn't real
• The bunny is called Bunny
• Coty gathers all our burundy capes to meditate in the bathroom
• The capes gain a perpetual sheen of ice and we all get the feeling of fatherly pride
• Bucket keeps trying, and failing, to make an earth wall
• Coty tells us about the bunny, and the Lorladon conversations

Ambush!

• Scribes has been up all night to deal with Bucket and Sylword's book prank
  • Coty wakes up first and tries to help Scribes open her book
  • Scribes is worried that someone got through our defences to do this
  • Void suggests to Misty Step with the book, which works!
  • Scribes explains why the book (How to get along with people) is important:
    • Should get along with Dullsworth during the meeting
    • Coty has just been through something traumatic, and biological creatures often like to talk after that
    • Coty tries to explain that people aren't logical, but Scribes is not convinced
  • Scribes is concerned that the dreams means Lorladon can still reach us, even after being stilled.
  • is he still stilled?
  • Bucket suggets that the butler did it
  • Coty remembers Ulreth being there before her slumber. He would be about 60-70 y/o now.
• Scribe casts Telepathic Bond, Flock of Familiars and uses the monocle to See Invisibility
• The familiars are ordered to investigate about other stillings that might have failed
  • Spoiler alert: we forget about the spell and gain no info from this...

• Void gets a letter from his admirer: "So proud of you, my favourite hero..."
• We walk past a square with news callers. They talk about the soul problem, the emperor, rebuilding. And also the trial. A judge has been appointed and is being protected. A juror might be missing
• Most is speculation, but there is a lot of interest in the trial
• While we're being crowded, Coty feels a prickle and saves from something
  • Scribes sees an invisible female dwarf in the crowd 40 ft. away. She casts Hold Monster and the dwarf goes visible
  • Bucket rushes through the crowd, and Coty uses Misty Step
  • Meanwhile, Scribes dodges 10 knives being thrown her way
  • Coty takes the dwarf's daggers, while Void looks for the second attacker. He sees a female human in inconspicous clothes.
  • The dwarf breaks free from the hold and runs off. Coty opportunity attacks with Hold Person, but the dwarf saves
  • Void casts Locate Creature on the human and can track her for one minute (because not familiar)
  • We make him into a speed demon to let Void easily catch up
    • Coty - Freedom of Movement
    • Scribes - Haste
    • Void - Invisibility
  • He follows until she thinks she's lost any tails
  • Void tells Scribes the secret knock telepathically
  • A male dwarf with a gray beard opens the door to let the assassin in
  • Void attempts to get through, but bumps into her. She immediately says that they have to relocate
  • Void sees an insignia on the male dwarf: Moradin
  • They close the door and he hears relocation noises
  • Meanwhile, Scribes is stopped in her tracks by a Sending from Lady De Mowbray:
    • "Oh dear Scribe-5~~~"
    • She invites her "home" for tea.
    • Scribe-5 tries to decline, but Lady De Mowbray insists, and mentions he has important information Scribe-5 needs before heading into the lion's den
  • We meet up with Void. As we break down the door, the Path of Hill guards come
  • They trust us since Void says this place has "Bad Mojo"
  • This is not their first assassins today
  • Scribe-5 warns a guard about invisible people watching, and gives him See invisibility
  • We leave the investigations to the professionals

Meeting the prosecutor

• We arrive at Prosecutor Dullsworth's
• Dustsprites bring chairs for us
• We mentioned someone tried to assassinate Coty
• She asks to be told all the steps of Awarth trials: que 30 min speech
• There are three phases: (First is transportation, second is #2-4, third is #5-7)
  1. Transport relevant people to trial (Jury, witnesses, judge)
  2. Opening statements
  3. Accused gets to speak
  4. Important witnesses
  5. Closing statements
  6. Jury deliberates, reads verdict
  7. Jury or jude decide judgement

• Sometimes ordeals in trials to determine guilt: Survive man eating plants -> not guilty (aka which trials)
• Up to the judge/jury.
• Coty wishes to avoid the man eating plants or deal. Then "no ordeals". Dullsworth agrees.
• Jury member Thea is missing. Been replaced by someone who will vote in favor of the prosecution
• Other jurors are probably bought by others
"Open violence is frowned upon, but bribery and occational assassination do happen."

• There are other hearsay witnesses
• Coty mentions the Dristword butler
• She suggests winning him over by clearing the rest of the Dristword name
• For execution we need full-proof:
  • Full-proof: Eyewitness, daming evidence
  • Half-proof: ?
• The Awarth usually go for life imprisonment than death. (Though some prisoners request death, rather than endure the imprisonment option)
• Coty believes in rehabilitation.
• We tell him about Desa, and Scribe-5 casts Sending to ask.
• Desa doesn't want Anyone to know of her presence in Hugo-Sha
• The trial is in two days
• The new Lord Dristword might inherit the punishment
• Interested parties:
  • Moradin (we don't mention this part) assassins
  • Tritonia
  • Yin
  • The Awarth
• The emperor would want harsh punishment
• Bucket mentions King Gillian Clover
• Glannon would prefer life imprisonment
• The arguments for lighter punisments are that he is already stilled
• Scribe-5 mentions that he might not be stilled, but we don't have proof.
• She mentions that we have his bag of holding.
• Coty pulls out the burned body of a child
• Scribes 5 mentions Black Mountains and Rockwater as potential allies to Lorladon (and Green Eagle Elites)
• If convicted of all of them, it might be difficult to avoid execution. If Held in Falinar, life imprisonment is more likely.
• Sylword could speak on the emperors behalf
• But politically dangerous
• The Wizards' guild are highly interested -> will likely support King Clover
• The Lady is preacing peace and forgiveness
• Bucket suggests using our name to sway the public
• We need a reliable eye witness ог physical proof that Lorladon did it
• The defence could argue that he is insane -> be released
• Coty and the butler are a bit biased
• We could present Coty as a victim -> Kidnapped, abused, manipulated
• He tried to steal a god's power. -> Will Ulutiu stand trial? Is he reliable?
• Kindly telling us not to lawyer speak during the trial -> But sway during the case, thwart other factions
• Protect witnesses/evidence/jusors/judje etc.
• During transportation, middle and last part -> danger
• Find out what other factions are planning
• The interested parties will try to achieve their goals, regardeless of the jury's verdict
• Bucket will be a peace keeper among the guards escorting Lorladon -> "Keeping the peace out"
• Coty will be escorted to court and wait in a room before the trial and during the jury deliberation
• Preparation plan:
  • Coty and Bucket will Transport via Lake/watery tree to talk to the butler
  • Sylword and Void will investigate the assassins
  • Scribe-5 will have tea with Lady De Mowbray
• Trial plan:
  • Void -> Jury
  • Coty -> Witness
  • Sylword -> Path of Horn rep
  • Bucket -> Guard
  • Scribe-5 -> Long distance guard
• Sylword can Raise Dead the burned body
• We could manipulate so Coty is not in the isolated room during the end phase
• Scribe-5 secretly tells Dullsworth that it's important that Lorladon doesn't get physical or mental access to us in his imprisonment
• Before leaving for Lady De Mowbray: Scribe-5 casts Sending to ask if she can bring guests. She says yes
• Coty dresses up in preperation
• Sylword casts Sending to get an update on the assassin case: "Hastily evacuated, left traces of magic and poison. Possible assassin network associated with the trial. There might have been a smithy there"
• Coty gives him the assassin's knife and Shapes Water to show her apparance
• He Scrys on the assassin:
  • She is conversing with a female human wearing less assassiny clothing
  • Talking about the failed plan today, but their other plans must suceed
  • Another joins, hand signals, "The man of the mountains"
  • Sylword sees a familiar dwarf wearing a Moradin medallion -> Sylword's master

Great Wizard Lady Millicent De Mowbray

• We teleport to Squallor's End
• Scribe-5 warns the others about the lady
• Two cliffs facing eachother frames a small town further down
• A mansion/tower at the top of the cliff stands imposingly, but not threatheningly
• Footman-7 greets us and leads us into some resting chambers to prepare
• Scribe-5 prestidigitations us clean
• A warforged announces us. Coty makes him announce us as family, to Scribe-5's horror
• Everything in the room is meticulously placed, with a view of the town magically enhanced. (it is not a window)
• Scribe-5 introduces her friends as aquaintances
• De Mowbray gets annoyed whenever anyone implies they are close to Scribe-5
• Sylword introduces himself as Sonnlinor Sylword, Guardian of the Clovers
• De Mowbray's eyepatch glows, and she asks us about the telepathy
• Scribe-5 excuses it as helping them behave correctly in front of the lady
• Coty and Bucket fails against Detect Thoughts
• De Mowbray calls Bucket "a good tool", before Coty calls Scribe-5 family again. De Mowbray is not pleased
• Scribe-5 says that the party rescued her
• De Mowbray wants Scribe-5 to stay for a while in exchange for info
• Scribe-5 tries to negotiate some other compensation
• Eventually, Scribe-5 agrees to communicate once a week for 2 pieces of info
• After the war, Lord Lorladon disappeared with help from someone who needed a strong sorcerer. Not Blackmountain or Rockwater
• Proof might not be possible
• "They" will attempt to manipulate minds with knowledge
• Someone in the wizards guild hid him for two years
• She refuses to share info on Ulreth's whereabouts, though she says he is alive
• She admires Bucket's armor and gets him to say that he will protect Scribe-5. Then she casts a divination spell on his armor
• We teleport back to Falinar
• Void takes a look at Bucket's armor, he doesn't see any difference

The old mentor

• Sylword remembers that the vision of the assassins had an altar. He recognizes the altar as one of two; One in his hometown(?) and one in Tidehaven(?)
• Scribe-5 thinks through the Wizard's Guild.
  • She knows her mentor Rust Sunfall, who is set on protecting King Clover.
  • Another is Perster Cherryheart, who is the leader of the Wizard's Guild.
  • He tried to make a deal with us, that he would give us info on Lorladon's location, if we stopped researching the fifth element
  • As we speak, he Sends a message to Coty. Asking for her whishes for the trial. They support King Clover, and he thinks us not wanting execution is wonderful
  • He asks for them to have custody of Lorladon is he is sentenced to imprisonment -> Coty says no
• Sylword scrys on Ulreth
  • He seems to be surrounded by fast flowing bubbles of black static
  • He is standing on barren black rocks, and seems tired
• We investigate the assassin hideout again
  • There is some magical residue, Coty and Void investigates
  • It is the remains of a conjuration spell. Some enchantement and ___ as well. More celestial in nature -> Strong teleportation (Word of Recall?)
  • Coty (Guidance, Pass Without Trace) and Sylword help Scribe-5 trance the teleport
  • When in the zone, Scirbe-5 manages to connect with Moradin

    • The student is lost. Perhaps the castaway student must become the master. For truth, family.

• We all get pulled into a low lit room
  • It smells of delicious spices stored in barrels lining the wall. It's very clean, with a perfectly cut altar in the middle. There's a red cloth marked with Moradin's Symbol
  • There are weapons that are both practical and ornamented
  • Unlit candles alight as we arrive
  • Everyone except Sylword is stealthy
  • From a room with a hay mattress, we hear laboured breathing
  • A dwarf is severelly injured, with the two assassins dead beside him
  • There are signs of struggle in the room
  • Sylword tells us this is where he learned, and this was his teacher
  • Sylword doesn't want to be a part of talking to him. He waits, hidden in the doorway
  • Coty casts Hold Person, before Bucket tries to help with medicine
  • Bucket casts Zone of Truth and wakes him up
  • Void takes the lead. Dwarf is racist towards "pointy ears"
  • Void casts Charm Person when he is stubborn
  • Bucket offers a beer, which is accepted
  • Void suggests a drinking contest against Coty, and manages to goad him into it
  • Sylword throws a bottle of rum to the dwarf and mutters that he should pour it on his wounds
  • The dwarf recognizes Sylword: "Good to see you again"
  • Bucket heals him in 15hp and Sylword finds some beer
  • Coty drinks him under the table, since she's immune against being poisoned
  • The dwarf is impressed
  • He helped the assassins when asked, but stopped them when they wanted to go back, since he owed a favor
  • He killed them barehanded while they were armed
  • These are the mountain's men
  • Sylword and Dwarf is fighting
  • Dwarf was an alcoholic (after?) throwing Sylword out
  • Sylword was his adopted son
  • They wanted to kill him
  • "They" are going to try to rescue Lorladon during transport
  • He agrees Sylword chose the right side. "At least I don't take after my master"
  • He threw him out to prevent them from recruiting Sylword
  • There are much fewer of them now, after the takeover after Rockwater's death (out doing)
  • "Pointy-eared leaf lover"
  • "Short rock-licker"
  • "The ashen custodians have taken over the mountain's men" -> Lady Ashfield, The Lady???
  • The dwarf worked on Bucket's armor
  • Sylword doesn't want us to heal him
  • Bucket tries to convince him. Eventually, Sylword leaves the room, letting us decide.
  • "We can bring him along, but he is not part of the family. He proved that before"
  • Sylword is upset that he chased him away and left him alone again
  • The dwarf's name is Hugric Longbrew
  • Bucket heals him more, cures his poison and convinces him to help us, so he can repent
  • "I'll have to forge something, maybe this time he'll escape"
  • They fight some more, then Sylword asks him if he's coming. He is not.
  • Sylword can contact him when he wants to know more
  • We Word of Recall back

Witnesses

• We wake up and Coty opens an ice door in a tree with a lot of water in it
• We're in the training courtyard, with lots of magical flowers from all the spellcasting that has been done here
• Sylword uses Thamathurgy: "BARTHOLOMEW! ANSWER THE DOOR AT ONCE!"
• The butler opens the door, and is surprised to see Coty.
• Coty explains that he is needed as a witness
• He doesn't promise to have the info we expect, or that he would be on our side in the trial
• Since we can't protect the heir while he is gone, he instead suggests two other witnesses:
  • Lipan - The head maid. An elderly dwarf woman
  • Mamon - A little demon cat. Known to be flighty and easily scared off. Mamon has helped Lorladon in locating promising kids
• They are willing to go with us on Bartholomew's command
• The cat has seen some shit, and wants to come clean
• Scribe-5 coordinates with Dullsworth about the witnesses

The Plan

• For the transport phase:
  • Coty, our two other witnesses and Sylword will travel with two Path of Hill guards
  • Bucket, Void (using Alter Self) and Scribe-5 will escort Lorladon, along with 3 Path of Hill guards and 5 pirate paladings from Tritonia
• For the other phases:
  • Coty will be a witness with Bucket as protection
  • Sylword will be the Path of Horn representative
  • Void will be a juror
  • Scribe-5 will be guarding Lorladon
  • A celestial will be summoned by Sylword to be The "Emperor"

The Trial