14 Duscar 837
Cold Open | Session 01/04/2024
[We shift to the bedchamber of a Tal’Dorei Council member, a room echoing with luxury and power. The council member, adorned in lavish purple and gold robes, sits amidst a sea of paperwork. She eyes the reports with an eagle eye, analyzing each piece of information before moving forth to the next. A portrait of her, years ago, with an older man holds a place of honor atop her desk. She smiles at it, as she signs off on an intelligence report to be passed forward.]
[A shadow flickers across the window, but she doesn’t notice it. If her father’s photograph does, it reveals nothing, frozen in time and helpless before another tragedy in Emon. A bubble of silence is the first warning sign she receives, the absence of shuffling paper, the void where she should hear her quill scratching parchment. As two bullets enter her from behind, there is no chance for a second warning. A stray beam of moonlight catches the twist of a stylish collar, as ash from a lit cigarette dusts the ground near the body and a breath of smoke fills the crime scene. Careful eyes look at the body without remorse and nod, before they depart.]
[Hours pass in the undisturbed chamber, the candles flickering their last light. Eventually, the door opens, and a guard steps in. The sight that greets him is chilling: a council member dead, blood spatter tainting her paperwork, and her heart carved out of her very chest for all to see. Engraved in the heart is a symbol, unforgivable and damning - the symbol of the Clasp. The guard’s cry for help resonates through the hallways, signaling the start of a frantic investigation and a deepening political mystery.]
Heroes of the Netherdeep | Emon | Session 01/04/2024
- Aida struggles with the last few weeks, and her worry of being abandoned.
It’s been three long weeks since you’ve seen any of your friends, much less your lovers. It has been nearly a month of dealing with Armand almost constantly. And though you were incredibly brave, especially at the beginning, resisting his probing questions, giving him nothing but the silent treatment. It’s starting to wear thin. It’s beginning to make you wonder, are they actually coming for you? It’s been so long and you’ve only seen Armand. That’s the only person you’ve been allowed to see besides the guards, of course. And they’re nice enough, but they’re guards, right? They’re doing their job. Armand, all of his honeyed words and his flagrant attention is trapped. Trapped. You can sense it. You can smell it. He wants something. And that’s the only reason you’re here. Just a thin sprinkling of sunshine breaks through the bars of your window, which faces to the south. So you don’t even get that much sunlight. What are you doing, Aida?
- Aida stares at the bracelet, a gift from Gilmore, and tells herself that everything will work out as it should. She believes the group is going the legal route, which is the cause for the delay.
Lord Armand Zilloa | Emon
- Armand goes about his business leisurely, arrogant in his certainty that he will achieve victory, because “all he does is win”, and working with a backup plan in the form of three people with flirty smiles. I’m sure this won’t be inconvenient for the party in any way.
Heroes of the Netherdeep | Emon
- Pandora wakes Paige up with a bribe of breakfast and coffee, and tells her about the tea with Armand and warns her about an information leak in the party. Pandora is vague on details, but explains that people seem to know things they shouldn’t.
“I have a meeting with Armand in a couple hours.”
“Okay. He’s… Is it a trap?”
“Oh, most assuredly. Not a physical trap, but a psychological trap.”
“Yeah. It could be a physical trap. Where is it?”
“At Aida’s cell.”
“Cool.”
“I’m… I’m not telling the others. You can tell Rodreck, but… I’ve been doing some investigating, and… There’s an information leak in the group. There’s… People know things that they shouldn’t. And… I mean, I… I trust Roderick. I… Trust you, as you are. Not for everything, but for this, surely.”
“What high praise.”
“It’s either Adrian or Fennec, and I don’t know which. I’ve been testing Adrian, but… The one thing Alyxian told me is he’s selfish. He cares about his soul above all else. He made a pact with a shadow demon. And… I can trust him as far as my bribery goes, but I can’t trust him beyond that if he gets a better offer, or if his patron persuades him in a different direction.”
- Paige says she doesn’t think Fennec is the leak, because Fennec wants to kill Armand, and Pandora says she’ll let go of her better judgement for the moment. They discuss plans for the prison break, and how to go about doing it. Pandora suggests keeping the meeting from Jon, for fear of Jon reacting irrationally. Pandora hands Paige the Orb of Scrying and Paige tells her to not be too proud to call to them for help. Before Pandora leaves, she tells Rodreck the same things she told Paige, and tells Paige to be wary of Adrian.
- Rodreck heads to the House of Discipline (still unfortunately not a kinky house) to inform the soldiers of the False Hydra and Armand’s treachery, while reciting some anti-Armand poems (See: Armand the Storyteller, The Seat, and Armand)
- Rodreck, Paige, and Fennec disguise a game plan, and Fennec disguises herself as Aida using Jon’s mental image of her (which is perfect and without flaws).
- Pandora informs Tully to spread word that Armand murdered Odessa through a proxy, that he’s joined the Rebellion, and that the Clasp will be the figurehead of the rebels. Additionally, the rebels are to be informed that the murderer of Odessa is locked away in the Cloud Top Prison.
- Pandora then tells Adrian to let the rebels inside the city walls in one hour.
Tea Time: Armand, Pandora, and Aida | Cloudtop Prison
Pandora is escourted under heavy guard to a tea display in front of Aida’s cell, and upon a careful overview, she notices that the food and tea are untampered with. She also notices the anti-magic field extends throughout the entirety of the prison. Aida clings to the bars of her cell, focusing on Pandora and drawing strength from her presence - thinking about how despite Pandora being the first one to leave, she’s the first one to come see Aida. Pandora does not meet her gaze for long, instead remarking that Armand’s lack of decorum (by not having Aida present at the table) are a. byproduct of his background, and was demonstrated by his niece.
Armand remarks that he doesn’t care for her insults, as they don’t matter, and that she’s reminding him of Tully with her inability to learn. He asks Pandora why she’s interfering in Emon so much, believing she might be taking Tully’s place. Pandora takes this as a compliment, keeping the details vague and noncomittal, which Armand calls her out on. Armand hits her with a line that sticks with her, one that drove her initial departure from the group:
“Is this by choice, or is it because your entire party completely brings you down, dampens you and your power, and stomps every whim that you would like to actually do?”
Armand continues to try and claw information from her, wondering why they stayed but their ship left, what the group’s goals are beyond saving Aida, and threatening that any further chaos will be repaid with his wrath. Moreover, he threatens Aida directly, stating that repayment will be her life.
They deliberate further, glossing over Armand’s involvement with the false hydra and his vision for the city at large. Pandora points out he cares only for the Emon he wants, rather than the Emon that exists, and he doesn’t disagree, remarking that the monster was on a time limit, and making implications about the timing of the monster and the party’s first appearance in Emon. Armand taunts her with Aida more, and when she remarks he should demonstrate mercy in addition to power, he laughs, asking what he should ask of her.
“What exactly are you expecting, Armand?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Something meaningful, from the heart.”
“I don’t have one. Try again.”
“Oh, not from your heart. There’s a very interesting tiefling you have with you. I’m sure his head would allow her to go. If not that one, maybe Tully’s head.”
“So you want me to, what? Debase my allies for your favor? I wasn’t aware you were a Betrayer God, Armand, you seem very similar to them.”
“The gods are very disappointing from time to time.”
“On that we can agree.”
Armand reveals he’s been betrayed by a god before, almost personally, and they bicker some more. Armand tells her she needs to pick who this all gets pinned on - her party or the rebels - and insists on a gift of a head. Pandora finds the source of the anti-magic field, notices Armand has an anti-magic field pin, and tells Armand she’ll put on a show, agreeing without agreeing to his terms. She also learns he is to be crowned the Head of War.
Pandora also hears the sword’s whispers to kill Armand, and realizes Lolth would want her to kill Armand even at the cost of her own life. She resists, and leaves the prison peacefully.
Paige, Fennec, Jon, and Rodreck investigate the prison’s exterior, and the party reconvenes to discuss the defenses and the possibility of an arcane bomb. Pandora pretends to recieve a Sending from Tully that the rebels breached the city’s defense, successfully fooling her friends and convincing them their timeline to rescue Aida has been greatly shortened. Paige realizes Prism might be able to make the bomb the party needs, and the party splits to accomplish all the necessary tasks in the time remaining.
Cold Open Flashback | Session 01/11/2024
“Everything appears to be going as we planned,” Adrian says, leaning on the table across from Pandora.
She smiles, and tilts her head. “It does, and I find myself curious about a couple things, Adrian. Do you have any family?”
“You’re curious about a lot,” Adrian remarks.
Pandora’s smile sharpens. “Side effect of living in Stilben. It’s always good to know more than you don’t know.”
“To answer your question, family? Yeah, once upon a time, don’t we all have family? But I’ve put that part, I’ve tucked that part of me away in a dusty corner of my mind. You know how it is in my line of work. Family becomes a distant memory. A ghost, almost. It’s better that way. Safer for them, easier for me.”
“Why are you so eager to return to Sharn then, if they’re a ghost, adistant memory, all that?”
“Sharn? It’s not about caring. It’s about unfinished business. About ties that need cutting. Knots that need untying. Sharn’s always had its claws in me. It’s a city of secrets, and I’ve got my own buried there. Can’t leave a job half done, can I?”
“I don’t think I can relate,” Pandora remarks, a touch softer than normal. “When I left the Feywild, it wasn’t like that. Clean cut. I haven’t gone back, and I don’t need to.”
“I think not everyone can live as independently as you do,” Adrian says.
Pandora shakes her head. “It’s less a matter of independence, and more a matter of survival. Putting yourself in circumstances that are needlessly painful is pointless. And that’s something I’ve learned through my years. There’s a…There’s a divinity in suffering, but pointless suffering gives nothing to no one. That’s why I no longer worship the Raven Queen.”
“Tell me, Pandora. Have you ever…” Adrian hesitates, before asking the question. “Have you ever sacrificed anything for someone else Endured pain for someone else?”
“I thought I did,” Pandora replies. “I tried to, at times. I trusted people. Did the whole routine, but it never goes well, Adrian. It never will go well. Sacrificing something for someone requires someone wanting you to act offer them something, and people want things from me that I cannot give. They don’t want sacrifices, they want my damnation, my erasure. Spying on the party is control and investment. They don’t trust me, and I don’t entirely trust them. It’s an uneasy agreement. So no, to answer your question, I don’t believe in sacrificing to pointless causes.”
“I mean, if anyone can understand putting the trust in the wrong person, believe me, I understand. But I’m trying to put some trust in you. It’s hard.”
“You can trust me, Adrian. We all have to put our trust in something greater. Part of being a cleric is being a servant to something grander than yourself, and it’s something I’ve recently learned. I wasn’t good at that whole faith part of it. I didn’t trust blindly. And I think that’s why I’m no longer what I once was.”
“What does that make you now?”
“A halfway point to something greater. I’m not as weak, but I’m not as strong. I’m in flux. Does that make sense?”
“Yes, and while I’m aware you’re reluctant in trusting others, I do think there could be power from it, too. There’s some things you can’t do alone. That sometimes there’s something greater when individuals come together than when they act on their own.”
“I agree, Adrian. You’ve been very cooperative. And that’s good. I’ve put my trust in you, and you can return the favor. Any questions you want to know, I’m an open book.”
“You know about my history. I’ve told people my past. But I only know a little bit about yours. What makes you Pandora? What makes you tick?”
“What makes me tick and what makes me Pandora are two different things. I grew up in a magical city where I didn’t have magic. Family didn’t like that. I didn’t like the way they reacted. Left. Some thieves picked me up. Learned some skills. Was told I was too angry. Took off for a quest. Helped kill a demigod. Changed deities. Went on another quest, one we’re on right now. Changed deities again. Here we are. That’s the easy way of putting it. The clean way. Truth is much messier, but no one likes hearing that. Like, are you wanting the specifics. I can tell you how it feels to die. Falling from a great height. I can tell you… How it feels to trust someone’s judgement for the first time, and be let down. I can tell you what it feels to get punched by a demigod. It’s not pleasant.”
“Won’t you tell me…What’s it like to converse with a god? Because I know you’ve, uh… Had some one-on-one conversations with the Raven Queen.”
“It is…The best and worst thing that ever happened. I spoke with Her twice. Thrice, actually. I spoke with Her when I died, and She brought me back. I spoke with Her, when She asked of me to do this mission, and I spoke with Her when she abandoned me completely. Well, spoke with is… A bit inappropriate. I should say, She spoke at me. And I listened. There’s something…painful about speaking to a god. It hurts. And what happens after hurts more. There’s power to it, affection, in even being acknowledged like that. But then in the aftermath, you’re just kind of left colder than before. Maybe even a bit lonely. At least that’s how I’ve known it.”
“Fascinating. If I’m being honest, I think it’s pretty idiotic to trust in anyone that powerful.”
“Well, I think it was a mistake to trust Her, but the Spider Queen is different. I trust Her. To a certain extent. To the same extent I trust myself.”
“But why? What makes Her different?”
“She’s the first being in my life to not view me as some halfway point to someone else. She doesn’t need me to be fixed. She doesn’t need me to be redeemed. She doesn’t need me to stop being angry. She sees me. And… Maybe she’s leading me down a darker path. And maybe I’m being used, but at least it’s honest. It’s not masquerading itself as something other than it is. It’s not calling itself unconditional with unknown conditions. It doesn’t call itself friendship while being something different. She’s very upfront. Her tenets are clear. I appreciate that.”
“My decision is made. I just have one final question for you. I too know what it feels like to be manipulated. But if I help you, do you promise you’ll help me get out my warlock bond and free me from this eternal suffering?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”
Heroes of the Netherdeep | Emon (Tal’Dorei)
- Paige and Jon fly over to Gilmore’s to request an anti-magic amulet from him, as the group is aware only members of the Tal’Dorei Council have them, and know Armand has one. Gilmore agrees when Paige reveals what happened to Aida, and extracts a promise to keep it hidden and get Aida free.
- Paige gets an arcane bomb from Prism, and hits the universe with…
Angst
So Paige goes to meet with Prism to get the bomb. They meet up and Paige gets the explosive. Prism takes some time to explain how it works to Paige. Despite the fact that they’re talking about an object that could level a house in an instant, the moment is sweet. And Paige recognizes that, so she goes to ask Prism something that has been on her mind for a while. She goes to put the bomb in her bag as she speaks. “Hey, do you want to like… maybe I dunno… join-“ Halfway through her question she spots the lamp that has been taking up space in her bag for so long. And she goes pale. She looks up at Prism and her mind races with thoughts. Fears. Until the only thing that can shake it off is changing the subject and throwing the question away. Paige tells Prism that she’s gotta get going, and Prism, none the wiser, kisses Paige on the cheek. Paige trembles and runs.
- Pandora asks Rodreck if he would believe her if she told him someone needs to die, and he says he would. Content, she proceeds with the plan as the group reconvenes.
- Rodreck tells the House of Discipline to riot against the government, and to riot in protest with the rebels. They do, because Rodreck is incredibly persuasive.
- Pandora tells Tully to have backup, and drags her along to the prison along with the rest of the party, but they find it abandoned, and Armand left an invitation to join him in a theater where he has Aida imprisoned.
Armand Fight
- Fill in later
- Armand manages to escape the party, and Pandora’s attempts to threaten Tully into assisting her further after abandoning the group fail. With her rage guarding her, Pandora tracks Tully down to her hideout and murders her in cold blood.
Pandora stabs Tully in the back, but leaves her alive long enough to monologue. “You know, it’s a real shame. We did make a good team for that brief moment of time where you weren’t being a floundering idiot and coward. Honestly, if you hadn’t run or if you’d even bothered to leave some effort of help, I might have spared you. But my goddess in particular, well… She’s a jealous one. She doesn’t like me getting too close to other people and She really doesn’t like cowards either, which kind of puts me in a difficult situation. Because you’re here, I’m here. You can see how you’ve made this difficult for me, Tully, and really you were quite useful. I mean your resources were helpful, you did most of what I asked you to do if a bit incompetently, but you and Lustran Zeth both suffer the same problem: you’re both fucking morons with people. You think you’re so powerful because you have this mastermind ability to manipulate circumstances, but you don’t know when to look at your back and notice the knife-“ Pandora twists the knife, to deepen the message. “-in it. This is going to serve as a lesson for you, because your soul is going to go to Lolth and you’re going to die, but maybe someday you’ll thank me in some distant hellish afterlife that you certainly deserve. Any last words?”
She tries to turn her head but she’s got that dragonborn head so it doesn’t quite articulate. The best she can do is get one eye on you, and you can already see that it’s dulling, it’s fading, she’s on her way out, and she says, “You were going to kill me anyway.”
Pandora cups her cheek with her free hand, and there’s some sick measure of affection in the gesture. “Oh sweet Tully. There was a chance. You could have been a high priestess, and now you’re ash.” Pandora disintegrates her corpse, and investigates the room.
- Pandora finds her name littering Tully’s documents, and signs of the woman’s affection for her. She ignores those pieces of information, still running on fury, and focuses on some safes she finds. She picks the lock, but fails to notice the trap. Pandora blows up the entire safehouse, but Lolth rescues her at the last moment. Tully’s murder served as a sacrifice, and Pandora’s bond to Lolth strengthens as her sword and crown Awaken.
- Paige returns the amulet to Gilmore, just before Aida arrives to enjoy his company and say goodbye.
- Pandora takes Adrian to the side, away from the group, and asks him if selling his soul was ever worth it. Adrian remarks that he doubts anything is worth that, and Pandora betrays him. She shoots herself, and tells the party he did it. He yells that she framed him, calling her a bitch, but the party is unable to peer through Pandora’s lies.
- The party teleports onto the ship with a Teleportation Circle, with Aida joining them later, and everyone takes a long rest.
Armand the Storyteller
Beware Armand the storyteller.
His words are always fiction.
He thinks he’s writing a bestseller.
But he is only feeding his addiction.Lord Zilloa wants a seat at the top.
So he creates problems to solve.
His ambition must be stopped.
Or the city will dissolve.The storyteller writes that he is a holy knight-
But he is nothing more than a lowly blight.
The Seat
The seat of War does not need another Lord.
Nor does this war need another warrior.
One who tries to solve all problems with a sword.
Will only make your home that much gorier.
Armand
There is a man named Armand
Who walks like he’s been embalmed
He has the most punchable face
And is a great big disgrace
I hope his house gets bombed.
Riot
*They want you to be quiet
They want you to be tamed.
Now is the time to riot.
You need not be ashamed. *You are not machines
You have the means
Let your voice be heard
Let them hear your words
Cage Broken
The caged bird is free.
It flies into warm arms.
The young man is full of glee.
The old man plys his charms.The jailer is cursed.
We had bested his worst.The city struggles to repair.
Our rescue left its scars.
But there was change in the air.
And we took back what was ours.
- Rodreck