Session 33 - In Search of the Missing Children

The action starts in a tavern that is a house. Alta comes in first, asks for koumiss, and gets a hard time from the host, Slava. He is quite insistent in questioning why Alta is here and once Vadim arrives, Slava focuses his intrusive questions on Gaalites and their intent in “taking over”, given the tolerance of the young prince, Yaropolk Rostislavovich.

Everyone eventually the rest of the party arrives.

Vladimir is in an alley pretending to be drunk. He gets robbed, and rushes in to find Vadim.

Meanwhile, Hrefna heads to the leatherworkers’ quarter to investigate their connection to the missing children. She parleys with a leatherworker who wears a symbol of Veles.

The man asks Hrefna if she believes the rumors:

Hrefna: Children get lost all the time.

Hrefna: I saw Koshchei the Deathless.

Leatherworker: You saw the Master?

Leatherworker: Everything the Master does has meaning.

Leatherworker: Let me know when you return from convincing the prince we have nothing to do with the disappearances.

Hrefna: Ask for Avner, yes?

Leatherworker: Yes

The party goes back to their hall at the citadel and debriefs, debates what to do next.

Prince Yaropolk invites the party to breakfast. Vadim has the impression that the Prince is open to the party doing useful things to earn their keep. The Prince and his party leave the breakfast, and we continue to debate what to do next. A serving boy is caught listening in to our discussion from behind a pillar.

The party meets with Olga. She urges the party to come clean with the Prince and herself about our plans. She also urges us to not open up a major investigation into the missing children and then just walk away without addressing and resolving the situation.

Vadim and Vladimir go to meet with Leo, the Gaalite Priest, to inform him of our progress with the investigation into who is abducting the children. We confirmed that we are aware of that the red shirt with gold threads worn by the Gaalite boy, Giannis (younger brother of Makarios) is located within the compound. We shared that this was determined by scrying. Leo emphasized that this is a sinful practice that should be avoided.

Afterwards, Vasilii shared with the party theory that the abductions could be a way to produce “orphans” who can be trained as priests/acolytes/followers of Veles.

Some party members visited our Rakhmany merchant friend  in search of better arms and armor for our new friend Alta. Vadim asked the Rakhmany whether they view scrying as sinful, as the Gaalites do. And indeed they do. Vadim got himself invited to an upcoming dinner with the Rakhmany to learn more about their faith.

Since we need evidence that Giannis is within the leatherworker’s compound, Vasilii resolves to shapeshift into a spider and infiltrate into the leatherworker’s compound.