Summary 63

The attack on the laboratory was a success. After walking into a patrol, you recovered the situation well. Rebekah chased a fleeing ‘scientist’ and you recovered both books. Destroying the laboratory, you returned and handed over all the material. Sadly, this good work was undone when you encountered a party of elves. Manacles refused to bow properly, so he was killed. Sisyraba went to his defence, and somehow survived being killed. Mysteriously, they appeared to overlook that she was wearing slave jewellery from a different House, the one you’d just attacked and killed. Sisyraba then abused everyone else for not defending what everyone else saw as an idiot that wouldn’t conform to his cultural surroundings by simply bowing. Ad nauseum.

Point of information. PCs dying in future will not be replaced if they have been idiotic. This is completely arbitrary, I realise, but so what? I’m fed up with players knowingly doing idiotic things simply because they know that they can reproduce a new PC. Characters die, that’s different. But if a PC deliberately decided to do actions that are patently outside of rational self-preservation, for no reason, then I’m not prepared to continue fudging the campaign to provide them with a new character. Yes, you have complete freedom to do what you want. But you can’t act as if there will be no repercussions. No names, no pack drill. You have all been warned. Lecture over.

Nedylene kept her side of the bargain and took you onto an island in the middle of the river. There are a number of islands. The buildings are in much better condition, but there’s still an air of decay about the place. They are living in an ancient city, rather than rejuvenating a modern one. You saw something of elven life from your quarters. Buildings are centrally heated in some way. Windows tend to be small and high up, but with lots of them. Clothing varies, with no pattern you can see. Elves are happy to wander around naked, but equally can be seen veiled, hooded, gloved and in complex layers of attire. Simple dress is also worn - tunic, sandals or tunic, trousers and boots or barefoot. You are in a small compound with ‘protection’.

The two places of possible relevance were made available to you. One site was a blowout, you all simply got filthy. Rebekah sat out much of the search seemingly unimpressed, whilst Jakob oscillated between not getting dirty and hoping to find something. The site was the location of a statue of a winged creature holding the words DUX in its claws.

The second site was the Shrine to the Old Ways. You found quite a lot of information here, though no-one seemed too sure what to make of any of it. Highlights include:

A 'sarcophagus' of a female figure wearing 'dendra’ plate. Decoration showed the figure to be riding a large winged creature (perhaps a "dragon" - none of you really know what such a creature looks like). You also saw the name Al Rhani Amn Khana on the inscription, though the elves told you that this was Rhani Shanaar.

Two statues of Epamin Shanaar, one with him as warrior and the other as ‘farmer/ ordinary ‘man’ of the people. Both are familiar representations to you. However, there was also a mosaic of the same figure pointing, and from a ring on a finger shoots a bright light. This light seems to pass through a gateway and up to a point some distance away. Both the ring and this point are shaped in the ‘star’ shape you have also seen before. The ring, the star shape and the gate each have a set of runes inscribed around them. They are elven runes.

A heraldic device of the head of some scaled creature, accompanied by a number of elf runes, is located on all the doorways.

A number of cauldrons, including one filled with blood, are located in one room.

A lot of carvings showing 'life in the "Empire"'.

The elves allow you to wander around the shrine, but are not terribly helpful in explaining the theological meaning of any of this to you. You’re forced to leave by elves from a different House, and do not rise to some very aggressive baiting from their leader.

You’re rather without any idea of where to go or what to do at this stage. Nedylene proposes a further task if you wish for any more help. She is arranging for a gathering/ party of a number of scions of the various Houses, purpose unknown (to you). She wants you to provide the entertainment - quaint foreigners from a strange land. She also wants you to kidnap one of the guests, and steal her dress. You are not to hurt her (which disappoints Sisyraba) and the plan is a simple one. We needn’t go into it here. Basically, the intention is to tempt her with “foreign treats” that are for Nedylene’s personal consumption. It sounds odd, but then most of the last week has been odd. You have been to hold her for an hour, and then a guide will get you out of the building (with the prisoner’s clothes), and into a safe house elsewhere. You must make it clear that you’re opportunistic thieves, doing a runner from House Alamein with everything you can steal. You very quickly agree, though Rebekah does point out there seems to be a rather weird theme (fetish) going on here. At the party, your entertainments were generally successful. I gave you an overview of events and characters, which I’m not going to repeat completely. I’ll summarise the general groups and anything/ anyone that interacted with you in some way.

House Narn. Three sisters (Korella, Raelka, Kakta) are very elegant and very well dressed, definitely the stars of the event. Most of the guests seem surprisingly disinterested; male PCs quite definitely noticed the sisters since they look very nice indeed. Nedylene is also seen casting envious glances at all three. Korella wears a shimmering, shifting dress of a green material that seems to hold its own shape (with a crinoline, it turns out). The outfit was complemented with a headscarf and veil, and evening gloves. She was also wearing a torque and pectoral. Since you have all this in your possession, you can see that it is old and contains a scene of “hoplites” versus “barbarians”, with the latter being incinerated by a flying creature. It is obviously worth quite a lot of money (in the right place, and remember you are supposed to be handing it all over!). Raelka wears a foil breastplate with a row of trinkets attached to the bottom, leaving a bare stomach (think crop-top). Her arms are sleeved and gloved, covering with hooped armlets. She seems to be rather too skinny, the bare stomach looking ‘inhumanly’ thin, especially as she is quite tall. She wears wispy pantaloons and pumps, with a veiled faux-helm topped by a white plume of hair. Raelka was seen to leave the Hall on a couple of occasions. You also noted that two of her trinkets look identical to the rings that you saw in the mosaic (though one looks broken) - but you can’t look too hard for obvious reasons. Kakta wears a faux corselet and leather skirt and a veiled helm open in the shape of an “8” and open to the ears. The breastplate is beautifully inscribed with an intricate pattern of what look like snakes. Three male members of the House are obese or fat, Korella and Kakta being slightly plump by normal elf standards that you have seen. Generally, these elves rarely stray from the food tables.

House Eilkerve. Tamka Eilkerve wears a full set of gilded dress chainmail, long plumed helmet and veil. She hits Sisyraba again, proving she’s also wearing splinted gloves. Two others wear dresses that copy Tamka’s armour. Arken Eilkerve, in a shimmering black robe, was very interested in Thomas’ crown. Amheera Eilkerve is clearly old, but still beautiful, naked. A Hill Man (no-one has yet talked to) seems to be in their party.

House Alamein. Nedylene and three others wear the same costume, including a fake crown (similar to Thomas’). Seldszar Alamein wears a bronze corselet and a gold facemask in the shape of a lizard. He watches the party quite closely.

House Khark. You noted nothing about the five elves of this House.

House Blinstry. A copper-skinned human (rather old and naked except for a multi-coloured cloak) alone represents this House, but is generally ignored.

House Weg. Four female elves in chainmail bikinis, spiked hair and filed teeth seem especially interested in a cauldron in the hall. One of these (Alystin, blue-dyed hair) accosts each of you with what looks like Thomas’ sword, demanding to know if you killed her sister. You all deny this. Another walks up to one of her bodyguard and simply whacks him, very hard. Everyone seems to try and avoid these four. Three of them show (recent) wounds. Two others wear archetypal dark elf chainmail and skulls. Another woman in a linen cuirass seems to spend quite a lot of time with a second Hill Man. He sports a sleeveless linen cuirass with a scaled head symbol upon it (like you saw at the Shrine to the Old Ways). He is respectful to the elves, but not servile. He has a beard with ringlets, well trimmed.

House Zvarl. Seven members of this House are naked or mostly so (3 men, 4 women). Remember nakedness is quite normal to the elves. One female (Rauva) has a tunic with a bare breast, but is missing the second breast. Another woman is wearing leathers (similar to a biker). Many of this House seem to tease the House Weg chainmail bikini girls, but skittle off quickly when reacted to aggressively.

The plan works a treat. Sisyraba masterfully persuades Korella that she really can’t give her any food (more than me jobs worth, ‘guv) but relents if she’ll come quickly and secretly into the kitchens so that ‘no-one’ sees and thus Sisyraba won’t get into trouble. When she gets there, the party is utterly surprised at the complete success and seems rather dumbstruck as to what to do! Finally reacting, Rebekah admits that they brought her here under false pretences, and could they please have her clothes. Her immediate reaction is one of horror, that there is no food. When it is pointed out that the party mean her no harm, that there is food and she might find the trade equitable, she seems reassured. Not entirely convinced that such barbarians really mean her no harm, Thomas rushes forward with a tasting and the food turns out to be excellent and she quickly undresses and avails herself of cushions and food. Rebekah takes charge of the dress, after some bitching with Sisyraba. Thomas then proceeds to obsequiously wait on Korella, so that she seems quite happy. At one point, she tries a clever quip aimed at finding out whether Nedylene is behind this, but you are all perfect in your reactions, that this is simply a heist by yourselves. Score one for the party.

So:

1. If anyone who wasn’t at the session gets to the next before we start, they can ask about any of the above subject to skills their PCs might have. We were short on the ground of players for this session, and it is difficult for half the group to necessarily make connections.
2. The party are in the ‘kitchens’ with a kidnapped Korella Narn, having successfully completed the mission with about 50 minutes to wait until you leave. Rebekah has taken all the clothes into safe-keeping and Thomas (as played by Phil) has been keeping her very happy with an array of treats, discussions of spices and general discussion on cooking in the West. Things seem to be going well, though Rebekah and Sisyraba are bitching at each other over the dress and who’d look nicest in it. I’ll forego the sexist comments!
3. Since some players were not present if anyone not at the last session wishes to talk to any NPCs in the Hall, we can rewind that bit. Igor, Sisyraba, Thomas and Rebekah are definitely in the kitchens. And you were instructed not to initiate contact with the guests, since they are nobles and you’re the entertainment. The group last session felt that scarpering and proceeding with the mission was the best plan of action.
4. Except for Brasaces, who is not there, but is with the bodyguards in the ante-hall.

Experience (including carried over)
Igor 50
Sisyraba 40
Rebekah 80
Brasaces 50
Jakob 20
Pallisses 30
Thomas 20
Anders 35