2025-07-11 Explosive Uncovering then Covering Up
General Summary
Scene: Nexus > Aftermath of Explosion in Bastion District
Velim Garak was trying to set up a fashion show and someone hid explosives in the exhibit.
This happened in unclaimed territory.
A Lookshyan Karal-gens courier died in the explosion. We met the ghost
Stelsor burns some hell-money for the ghost
The ghost mentions a contract they have to go fulfill for the Ghosts of Dari.
The Karal family has a long-standing tradition/contract of service to earn their place in the Karal Underworld estate.
A man in Western-style dress comes to meet us, it is Garak.
He normally is paid-up with the Tang-Zen and they would normally
Fortifier is curious how he met Nulissa
They met when Nurlissa and Shuns the Enemies of Autochthon went to get Shuns a garment to celebrate Sees Your Soul’s elevation to leadership in Great Forks.
Garak has recently made outfits for several of the other Alchemicals.
Fortifier asks if he does business with entities from The Underworld.
Not if he can help it.
Garak mentions going on double dates: him with Nurlissa and Erresanada with Prital.
We ask if he’s acquainted with Guild Director Blue Eyes.
Garak is aware of Blue Eyes, who has been prominent in Bastion District for a long time and has had a lot of beef with Windblown Snow.
Garak’s store is next door to Windblown Snow’s store and they are good friends.
Garak didn’t have any Mercenary/security personnel on site because it was just an early rehearsal.
Some things were destroyed, but several of his most valuable fabrics and jewelry had not arrived yet.
None of the models at the rehearsal were people we know, but we find out that two of Mattress’s daughters were to model: Nerale
It may be that this blast was supposed to go on later.
Fortifier determines that Compassion is one of Garak’s virtues.
We also notice that he’s ethnically from Haslanti League territory, though he has been dressed like the far West.
Stelsor asks if he can make any connections for us with the Haslanti
Before coming to Nexus, Garak had a small shop in Greyfalls. The locals did not appreciate his
He asks about our recent trip to Greyfalls, a suspicious thing for him to know about, since we left quickly to rescue Metagalapa.
Dreamflower discerns that Garak actually answers to Guild Director Norma Jean.
The intimacy that most drives Garak is one of Protection toward Norma Jean. He knows she is attempting to exit the Guild and is trying to help her with that.
Stelsor is able to finally get Garak to spill that he had his shop blown up in order to distract the Guild to help Norma Jean escape the Guild.
At this point, Garak needs us to pretend to continue investigating.
After Garak leaves, we discuss what to do next.
Fortifier wants to send someone to monitor the gate to Autochthonia in Greyfalls.
We consider our rolodex and decide to ask Peleps Rarida.
Scene: Infallible messenger to the Ar-Duke
Metagalapa has returned to their cartographically normal position.
We find out that we’ll need to make sure the riding hawks are welcome before the Ar-Duke sets out for Marita to meet with the heads of the Confederacy of Rivers.
Scene: Nexus > Home of the ambassador couple
Fortifier and Dreamflower figure out that the couple are in Sentinel Hill. They rented one of the oldest houses in Nexus, dates to before the Great Contagion.
Around early afternoon we arrive and are welcomed by Karal Kalias.
Dreamflower determines that Karal Kalias has an Intimacy of fear toward the Guild.
They see the Tang-Zen as a plucky underdog. It is a recent up-start in their eyes and they don’t really know what makes the Tang-Zen tick.
Scene: Nexus > 5+2
Stelsor meets up with Nerele Navarone
Stelsor has been trying to help her with her Unwoven Coadjudicator
Stelsor uses a charm to speak with the Coadjudicator and intimidate it into being more compliant.
Instead of encountering only one Coadjudicator, Navarone has 4 additional ones, each associated with a directional wind.
Jahan has been named by the ghost we spoke to at the explosion site as the person behind it. He doesn’t know we know this at this time.
Jahan arrives with a young girl, about 21, on his arm.
At the mention of the explosion in Bastion district, Jahan is shocked because he was looking forward to it.
He mentions that the Rani-Satrap is a cousin of his.
Jahan is impressed by something in Dreamflower’s aura
Fortifier asks if Jahan is referring to sorcery. He studies the occult arts, sorcery among them, yes, but that isn’t quite what he is referring to.
Jahan detects the traces of a deity about Dreamflower. (sensing Chalai)
Fortifier asks where Jahan was 3 days ago, before the explosion.
Fortifier figures out that Jahan wants to rebuild a powerbase like he had back in Prasad.
Fortifier asks if he has met anyone in the guild
Jahan begins to get perturbed by our questions
We mention that we presently have only spectral evidence
Jahan becomes very offended that we would question him, a major diplomat, on the word of a single ghost.
Having gotten Jahan in a tizzy, we make a great show of telling him he can leave but not to leave town.
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