Gears of Revolution: A Zeitgeist campaign

[Colmarr]

Session 2: All Aboard (cont.)

Once the dignitaries were aboard and enjoying their refreshments, the Coaltongue cast off from Fleet Square and steamed into Flint harbour. The crowds lining the shore cheered and threw ribbons and small flower wreaths into the water as the warship moved off.

Once the Coaltongue was in the centre of the harbour, eight four-masted Risuri navy ships joined her and together the vessels set a course out into the open sea.

Meanwhile, Erik had caught sight of Governor Stanfield in conversation with Chief Inspector Delft. Remembering his promise to Thames Grimsley, Erik moved over and politely interrupted. Once he had the governor’s attention, he introduced himself and relayed Grimsley’s message.

Stanfield studied the investigator for a moment, and then responded with a question.

“Tell me, Mr Pride. How would you deal with Thames Grimsley and his dockers?”

Erik pondered the question for a moment. “I would have someone infiltrate their organization, to determine exactly what their intentions are.”

Stanfield nodded and smiled. “An intriguing idea, Mr Pride. Intriguing. I will consider what you have said.” The governor turned to Chief Inspector Delft. “If you would excuse me, inspector?”

Delft nodded enthusiastically, “Of course, governor. A pleasure speaking with you again.” As the deva turned and moved away through the crowd, Delft shot Erik a level glance. Then he too moved off without a word.

As he watched them go, Erik fingered the ship’s railing. When he looked down, he realised it contained a thin inlay of gold that stretched as far as he could see. He smiled to himself, knowing that a solid loop of gold around the vessel would prevent teleportation. The Coaltongue’s designers had thought of everything.

... ... ...​

Two hours after the sun set, the Coaltongue rested at anchor just within sight of shore, surrounded by its escort of naval ships. The Coaltongue’s crew had set up an outdoor kitchen on the aft maindeck and a banquet room within the capacitor, which – much to the delight of the guests - occasionally flashed with sparks of silver energy. As the meal was served, those not actively involved in food preparation took up instruments and lined the foredeck. The band filled the otherwise still night with Risuri folk music.

As the king and principal minister Lee took their seats, Delft summoned Erik.

“The Duchess went off an hour ago to take her nap, and she’s not back yet. Go and check on her, would you? Make sure she’s not trying to embarrass the king by hiding during his big speech.”

Erik immediately complied, collecting Cassi, Thornt and Willheim and heading for the aft observation quarters where Willheim had arranged for the Duchess to take her rest. Tok, mingling with the guests, stayed behind in case trouble arose. They found the door to the observation quarters closed, and Erik knocked politely. Sokana Rell answered, opening the door only wide enough for her to peek out.

“What is it?” she asked. “The Duchess is asleep.”

“The banquet has begun,” Erik replied. “If her highness does not wish to miss the meal, she had best come with us now.”

Sokana studied him flatly, and then looked to the other investigators accompanying Erik. “I don’t believe her highness would be interested in eating. She does not sail well and is feeling ill.”

Erik and Willheim exchanged glances before the senior investigator replied. “We have a doctor with us. Willheim, why don’t you go and summon Tok?” Willheim nodded and set off for the main deck.

Annoyance flashed across Sokana‘s face before she calmed again. With a sigh, she said, “Very well. Give me a moment to wake her highness.” She closed the door. Once the door shut, Thornt stepped forward. His keen ears could make out the sounds of movement from inside the room. After a few moments, he detected a distant splash. Immediately, Erik pushed the door open and the three investigators stepped inside.

Sokana crouched in the middle of the room holding a strange amber rod. With her other hand, the elf was attempting to collect up the scattering of scroll paper and extinguished candles that surrounded her. She looked up in annoyance as the door opened. The duchess was nowhere in sight.

Just as Erik was about to speak, Thornt caught movement in his peripheral vision. Crouched in the corner, a halfling poured a vial of ugly-looking liquid over a large kitchen knife. Before Thornt could react, the assassin leapt.

 

[Colmarr]

Session 2: The sabotage

Thornt’s form immediately dissolved into a swarm of buzzing insects, but even that was not enough to avoid the halfling’s attack. The poison-coated blade slashed dozens of Thornt-insects from the air, and the same magic that allowed the shifter to alter his form allowed the toxin to spread through Thornt’s system.

Sokana took advantage of the investigators’ surprise to slip past them and into the ship beyond. Erik managed to draw his pistol and fire a single shot before she disappeared behind one of the Coaltongue’s boiler flues, but then the elf was running down the stairs deeper into the bowels of the ship.

Up on deck, Willheim had managed to locate Tok and both were making their way toward the stairs leading back to the observation cabin. Willheim’s keen ears picked out the sound of Erik’s fusilshot over the band’s melody, and both investigators immediately broke into a run. They arrived at the bottom of the stairs just in time to see Sokana head further below.

In her wake, three fire sprites sprang into existence. Two skittered towards the members of RT3, fireformed claws raised menacingly and giggling with voices that sounded like open flame. The other rushed toward the ship’s forecastle, and Tok quickly realised that it was headed for the Coaltongue’s magazine. As he moved after it, he saw the prone form of the marine that Thornt had spoken to earlier. Even in the dim light below decks, he could see that her head had been caved in.

“Take Sokana! We’ll protect the magazine!” he shouted.

Thornt and Cassi focused their attention on the halfling assassin, while Willheim and Tok moved after the sprite. Erik followed Sokana deeper into the vessel, trying in vain to get a clear shot.

The halfling assassin was clearly outmatched by Cassi and the weakened Thornt once the element of surprise was lost. Try as he might, he could not land another telling blow, and simultaneous assaults from both investigators soon took their toll. Cassi eventually smashed him to the ground with a blow from her warhammer.

As he fell, Thornt moved to the cabin’s window and glanced outside. He exhaled in shock. Far below, Duchess Ethelyn clambered out of the sea onto the back of an enormous kraken. She joined a powerful-looking sea nymph on its back and together the two of them sank beneath the moonlit waves. Thornt muttered a curse, then turned and ran after his companions, shouting what he had seen.

The fire sprite wrenched open the door to the forward magazine. Even as Willheim closed on it, the elemental ripped down the ward that hung from the magazine’s ceiling and grabbed one of the casks of firedust. It turned with a malicious giggle, but didn’t get far. Before it had even left the room, Willheim was on it. A blue-skinned palm drove forward with the force of steel and caught it in the face. The sprite’s head rocked back and what passed for the creature’s neck snapped with an audible crack. The sprite dropped the cask, then disappeared in a fizzle.

Erik blasted one of the other sprites as he chased after Sokana. Tok soon joined him and together the two of them pursued the elf handmaiden toward the engine room. Tok got their first, just in time to see Sokana standing before the open door of the ship’s boiler. Waves of heat rolled from the opening, and even Tok’s limited technical knowledge was enough to tell him that something was wrong.

He nimbly jumped down into the engine room, only to be ambushed by additional fire sprites that grabbed at him and held him tight. Ignoring the pain of their flaming claws on his skin, the changeling struck at Sokana with his magic, and then scooped up a nearby coil of rope. He lashed out with it, wrapping it around Sokana’s wrist and pulling the elf toward him.
Almost simultaneously Tok noticed an engineer emerge from behind a bulkhead carrying an enormous wrench. He breathed a sigh of relief, only for it to turn to one of dismay when the man moved to the ship’s rapidly overheating boiler. He swung the boiler’s door shut and touched it with some sort of wand. The door instantly rusted over. Then the engineer tossed aside the wand and advanced on Tok.

Willheim dropped from above and engaged the new enemy. Another engineer appeared on the deck above and attempted to get past Erik and the now-pursuing Cassi. The man had no chance. Erik’s shot stopped him in his tracks, and Cassi’s blow sent him to the deck.

The battle in the engine room turned into a swirling melee involving Tok, Willheim and Cassi. The engineer and the fire sprites lashed out at the investigators while Sokana filled the room with short walls of fire. Trapped and distracted by the flames, Willheim passed out. Seconds later, the engineer’s wrench crashed down on Cassi’s back and she too collapsed. Tok danced away to safety, firing another blast of magic at Sokana.
Erik had until now been perched above, firing into the melee from a vantage point on the berth deck, but when Cassi fell, he grabbed hold of the edge and swung down. While blasting with his pistol at the nearby engineer, he grabbed the gorget of Cassi’s plate armour and dragged her from the fire. “Get up. Get up!” he yelled, and miraculously the young knight complied.

Once the boiler was sealed, Sokana attempted to make her escape. She slipped past the distracted Cassi and Erik and fled away through the forward hold. She was too late. Swarm-Thornt, having finally caught up to his companions, dropped down behind her, and a wave of biting and stinging insects enveloped the elf saboteur. Sokana screamed once and then was still.

Moments later, Cassi’s warhammer finished off the engineer. In the sudden stillness, all turned to study the boiler. It groaned with barely-contained pressure, and hairline cracks in its surface flickered with arcane energy. Clearly something was very wrong.

 

[Colmarr]

- Sorry to do this, but I severely underestimated the time I would need to invest to fully narrate this story hour. I don't think I can find the time between my work and family commitments, so I've decided to continue the story hour in a session report summary rather than a full narrative.

You'll still get all the good bits, but with less chatter

 

[Colmarr]

Session 3

Aware that the boiler was on a course for a catastrophic explosion and realising that they needed to fire the brand, RT3 split up to apply their respective talents.

Willheim rushed to the main deck (getting there in a single round), and Erik followed.

Tok followed the maze of pipes and found the pressure release valves in another room, venting some excess heat from the furnace.

Thornt rushed to the magazine and grabbed the fire charm that the fire sprite had ripped from the ceiling. Then he returned to the engine room. He sensed the primal magic there. After first trying (and failing) to absorb it, he managed to redirect it toward the capacitor.

Cassi applied her hammer hook to the furnace door, but struggled to get it open. Eventually Thornt joined her and they managed to prize the door open, only to fall back before the heat within. Thornt tossed the charm into the blaze. The flames dimmed a little, but then the charm was consumed.

Tok and Willheim managed to convince a sozzled Geoff Massarde to accompany them, but only after members of the crowd overheard them say that the boiler was oveheating and was going to explode. Panic erupted and principal minister Lee made preparations to teleport the king to safety.

While Erik, Willheim and Massarde made their way belowdecks, Tok made his way upwards. Seeing the crowd out of control, the swaggering changeling managed to convince many that they were going to be special guests at a test-firing of the brand. He chivvied crew into lining chairs near the bow for the guests, and his confidence and calm proved infectious.

Erik grabbed a shovel from beside the boiler and reached into the open doorway to retreive Sokana's amber rod. The flames steal the breath from his lungs, and he drops dangerously close to death before someone pulls him clear.

Massarde guided the remaining investigators in the necessary steps to calibrate the brand, then the weapon is fired. The heat of the boiler dissipates immediately, and a massive beam of fire vaporises a spot in the ocean 100ft in front of the Coaltongue.

In the aftermath, the party resumes and Principal Minister Lee and King Aodhan find time to speak with the investigators privately. They both thank RT3 for their good work, although they are clearly shocked that the Duchess was involved.

Later, the king announces his plans to seek peace with Danor, and that a peace conference has been arranged for one years' time. He also announces his intention to marry a Danoran. Some members of the crowd (Erik included) and none too happy.

A weeks passes with RT3 mopping up after the incident and filling in paperwork. Then they are summoned to Assistant Chief Inspector Delft's office. On the way, they cross paths with Office head Margaret Saxby. She congratulates them on their work on the Coaltongue. "You did us proud on that ship. Please don't embarrass us in the next 5 minutes".

In Delft's office, he introduced RT3 to Lya Jierre, the Danoran Minister for Outsiders. Tok knows from her clothing and surname that Lya is a member of the ruling Danoran Jierre dynasty.

Lya tested RT3 with a puzzle, which they solve with only a little fuss. Satisfied (but not overly impressed) with their performance Jierre, begins to tell RT3 about a situation on Axis Island.

 

[Colmarr]

Session 4

In the week after the events on the Coaltongue, RT3 were kept busy with paperwork and following leads around Flint relating to the saboteurs’ activities. They were then called to Inspector Delft's office and met with him and the tiefling Lya Jierre.

Lya Jierre, the Danoran Minister for Outsiders, informed the investigators that Duchess Ethelyn and her allies had captured a Danoran outpost on Axis Island, so called because compasses spin on their axis there. Axis island houses a Danoran mining operation, some factories and an outpost.

Lya shared King Aodhan's desire for peace, and was concerned that the Duchess' actions would be used by the Danoran congress as justification to renew the war between the two nations. She had proposed (and Aodhan had accepted) that Risuri forces recapture the island from the Duchess and then voluntarily hand it back to Danor.

Jierre had two conditions: the handover had to happen in approximately 3 days time, and she wanted RT3 to ensure that no harm came to her cousin Nathan Jierre, who was working on the island. Nathan had been just a teenager during the war and she maintained he was innocent of any crime. RT3 accepted her conditions.

After Jierre left, Delft explained to his investigators that their involvement in the mission was primarily to investigate the Duchess's actions after the island was recaptured. Another team of infiltration specialists from Slate would lead the mission, although RT3 would be called on to take over if something went wrong.

After making requisitions from the RHC quartermaster, RT3 set out on the RNS Impossible that afternoon and were surprised to find it captained by Rutger Smith, the cigar-smoking amateur theologist that Erik had interacted with onboard the Coaltongue. Over a well-provisioned dinner, Smith again expounded on his admiration for Millerite theories of understanding. Erik and Thornt took a more pragmatic view of how to solve disputes.

The Impossible met up with the Risuri navy near Axis Island and the infiltration specialists came aboard: Seven foot Dan the fighter, Tanya the shaman, Burton the goblin rogue and Letmas the illusionist. Tanya briefed RT3 on the mission: reach the island by way of a secret sea cave at the bottom of a mine and emerge from the mine in an inland valley; journey over the northern mountains to reach the rear of the island's fortress. Breach the wall with Passwall scrolls, then make way to open the fortress' sea gates. Signal the fleet with Pyrotechnics scrolls and then hold the gate open until marines could storm the outpost.

After the briefing, the Impossible hoisted black sails and set off under cover of night. Once it reached the target cove, the infiltrators took a length of rope, cast rituals of Water Breathing on their group and RT3, and set off for the hidden sea cave. A few minutes later the rope went slack and then began jerking fitfully.

RT3 dove overboard and followed the rope, only to discover that the tunnel roof had partially collapsed. Burton's leg was pinned underneath a boulder, and the only trace of the other infiltrators was the crushed end of Seven foot Dan's spiked chain. Burton was delirious with pain and blood loss and begged RT3 to free him before sharks ate him. Almost simultaneously, Thornt noted ominous shapes circling at the edge of his sunrod's light.

Erik discovered a strangely fresh iron rod in the rubble of the tunnel and Cassi, Willheim and Erik used it to lever the boulder off Burton. Fresh blood filled the water and the goblin began muttering about a purple swamp. RT3 quickly continued up the tunnel before whatever was following them could attack.

At the end of the tunnel, they discovered a sea cave. When the lights later came up, RT3 realised that the cave was dominated by a pillar of stone that rose out of the water and platforms built into the wall. Near the bottom of the pillar, approximately 12' above the water level, a small ledge seemed to hold some form of object.

Erik and Tok chose not to reveal their light sources and moved ahead slowly to investigate the cave. Erik soon came under pistol fire from a Danoran miner positioned on platforms high overhead. Thornt fed Burton a potion of healing to stablise the goblin, and then RT3 surged forward. They quickly overwhelmed the miner and his earth elemental and shadow stalker allies, but not before Cassi, Willheim and Thornt took significant damage.

 

[Colmarr]

Session 5

After subduing the Danoran mine foreman, Tok and Erik set about learning what he knew while Cassi guarded the passage and Thornt and Wilheim moved the injured Burton to higher ground.

The Danoran explained that he had been hiding in the mine since the Duchess' forces invaded and had fired on RT3 because he heard them whispering in Risuri. Erik called him on that lie (he and Tok hadn't spoken as they entered the sea cave) and the Danoran reluctantly revealed two large gold coins on a thong around his neck. He explained that one of them allowed him to see in the dark, and surrendered the coins to RT3.

Having hauled Burton carefully up the ladders to the mine landing itself, Thornt and Wilheim joined the conversation. When asked whether he had seen anything before the tunnel collapsed, the goblin rogue replied that he had seen everything. For a moment he had imagined himself in a strange swamp, under a blue sun, surrounded yellow frogs. Then the ceiling collapsed, killing Seven Foot Dan, Talya and Letmas.

While the investigators recovered their breath, Tok examined the Danoran's coins and another coin standing on a nearby stone pillar. Each one was covered with images, and Tok identified them as representative of Nem (the plane of shadow), Urim (the plane of earth) and Avilona (the plane of air). Tok slung the icon of Nem around his neck, and by consensus Cassi took the icon of Urim and Wilheim took the icon of Avilona. Then RT3 left Burton to guard the trussed up mine foreman. The goblin wished them well, and passed on knowledge of a weak spot in the fortress wall.

Emerging from the mine on the side of a mountain range, they journey north up and over the peaks, from which they could see Axis fortress in the distance. While travelling down the northern face, they encountered a spontaneous blast of flame that seemed to have no cause or impact point. Pressing on, they crossed paths with a huge, headless, iron golem leaking a strange oil. The construct seemed to sense Cassi and Tok in their hiding spots, but then ambled past them. After it had passed, Tok, used Thornt's empty potion vial to collect a sample of the oil. Strange white motes of light floated within it.

Finally reaching the road, RT3 made good time toward the fortress, only to suddenly find themselves in a swamp, surrounded by yellow frogs and under a setting blue sun. As quickly as it appeared, the swamp was gone and RT3 were back on the road; the only proof of what had happened being Erik's still-wet shoes.

Sneaking to the wall, Tok read aloud the inscription from the first passwall scroll. The stones opened up, revealing a small passageway, but it was not long enough to breach the fortress wall. Aware that they only had one more chance, Erik, Thornt and Wilheim moved closer and loaned Tok their (untrained) aid. This time around - attempting the ritual a second time and with his companions assisting - the changeling performed the ritual flawlessly. The wall opened before them and RT3 were in the Axis fortress.

They moved as stealthily as possible around the town within. They soon came across a guarded warehouse, but chose not to risk discovery by investigating it before their mission was complete.

Pressing on to the lighthouse next to the sea gate, Tok and Erik attempted to bluff their way past the guards stationed there. The first patrolmen let them past, but as they approached the second, a voice called out from an upper window. "He's leaving wet footprints, you idiots! Intruders!"

Tok, Cassi, Thornt and Erik moved forward against the lighthouse's defenders, and as they moved Cassi invoked the power of the Icon of Urim to summon a wall of stone behind them, blocking the path of the defenders' dockside reinforcements. At the same time, Wilheim invoked the power of the Icon of Avilona and swept into the air. Bursting through the second floor window, the deva confronted the rebel wizard there. The surprised man crumpled under a flurry of blows and kicks (one-hit kill with Wilheim's Masterful Spiral daily!), even as his pet Fey Drake disappeared from view.

As Cassi's summoned wall faded, Erik rushed into the now-undefended lighthouse building and located the Sea Gate controls. Below him, the remaining dockside defenders rushed up the ramp, eager to join the fray.

 

[Colmarr]

In the lighthouse, the rebel wizard’s trained fey drake disappeared from view, only to reappear and drive poisoned fangs into Wilheim’s shoulder. Sorely wounded, and with toxin coursing through his veins, the monk leapt back out the window and landed lightly beside Erik on the steps of the tower.

Downstairs, Erik prodded and pulled at the sea gate controls until he heard gears begin to grind in the lighthouse walls. The sea gate began to slowly swing open.

Tok moved back onto the sea wall to stop a fleeing patrolman, only to be blindsided by the rebel investigator moving up the ramp from the docked ship. The rebel’s fey magic blinded the changeling. Even afflicted, Tok’s trickery emerged as he feigned a misstep. The fleeing rebel saw a non-existent opening, abandoned his run for reinforcements and turned and fired.

Erik emerged from the lighthouse to see a rebel soldier laying into Thornt with his glaive. He grunted “oh no you don’t”, levelled his pistol and fired. The solder spasmed once, then collapsed lifeless.

With the soldier down, the investigator turned and fled. His patrolmen allies soon followed. In the silence that followed, ST3 could see lights moving on the outer fort walls and hear cries from the guards there. Obviously the rebels knew the sea gate was opening. A large group of soldiers began to mass at the end of the sea wall and move toward the lighthouse. Erik seized his chance and set of the pyrotechnics scroll to alert the Risuri fleet while Cassi layed into the control panel with her hammer.

Willheim, Cassi and Tok hastily erected a daunting barricade inside the lighthouse while Thornt and Erik moved around outside setting traps for the advancing rebels.

As the first wave approached, Tok slipped out of the lighthouse to circle around them. As Erik and Thornt attacked them from above, the bard sprung from his position of concealment and blasted two attackers with his magical song.

As the second wave rushed the tower, Erik, Thornt and Tok slid from the lighthouse window on ropes to repair their barricades and traps. Again Tok’s magic proved beneficial, subduing three of the soldiers before they could advance. But then the Risuri investigators were caught by the attackers, trading blows and spell with them until the last of the attackers fell.

The third wave, larger than the others, almost breached the lighthouse itself. Only Wilheim’s and Cassi’s sterling work shifting furniture to make impromptu barricades prevented the rebels reaching the sea gate mechanism. Wilheim again leapt from the lighthouse window, smashing first one attacker and then another to the ground. Lightning and arrows rained from Thornt and Tok in the lighthouse.

Just as the last of the attackers fell, a last wave moved onto the sea wall. Simultaneously, the first of the Risuri warships sailed into Axis harbour. I’s first broadside shattered the ship docked against the sea wall. Shrapnel and cannonballs sliced through the new attackers. Another ship soon followed. The rebels retreated to the outer fort walls to prepare for the Risuri attack.

In the lighthouse, the near-exhausted members of ST3 caught their breath. Of the 5, only Cassi was still in good condition. Despite his injuries, Tok urged his companions to press on; to find Nathan Jierre. Erik disagreed, maintaining that their mission was not yet complete. Although the sea gate was open, ST3 were to stay put until relieved, and then help with the interrogation of prisoners and the duchess. Cassi nodded, ever-respectful of her sergeant. Then Thornt and Wilheim agreed, and the matter was settled.

Or so ST3 thought. While the others slumped down to rest or investigated the now-empty lighthouse, Tok slipped out the door into the now fire-lit night.

 

[Colmarr]

Session 7

Author's note: At the end of session 6, there was some heated debate between Tok's player and Erik's player about whether the PCs should press on in search of Nathan. Erik's player maintained that their mission was to keep the lighthouse until the fort was secured. Tok's player wanted to push on and fulfil their promise to Lya.

The other players ultimately sided with Erik (we had long-sinced established that Erik was RT3's sergeant), but Tok's player - never one to accept someone else's decision - decided his PC would sneak off.

This is the result, which we played out via play-by-post (warning, it's in full narrative so it's long):

The sea wall connecting the lighthouse to the outer fort is deserted, the rebels having retreated to the outer fort. As Tok moves, cannon emplacements on the wall exchange fire with the Risuri naval ships breaching the harbour. The night fills with smoke and fire and thunder, and no one notices the sole figure moving along the wall.

When Tok reaches the far end of the wall however, he encounters an obstacle. The iron portcullis connecting the outer fort wall to the sea wall causeway has been lowered, and three wary-looking rebel soldiers stand just beyond it, craning their necks to watch the incoming ships.

From his position in the darkness on the sea wall, Tok can see that the main gates to the Fort have likewise been closed. The rebels are battening down for the coming storm.

The wall rises 15 feet above the walkway upon which Tok stands, tilted slightly backward to strengthen it against cannon fire. A faint aura lingers on the wall, and Tok can sense that it has been ensorcelled with a faint repulsion effect to make climbing difficult.
A battered Risuri rebel limps up to the portcullis. He also looks out to the sea, and spits in disgust at the distant warships. "Let me back in. Those iron-lovers have almost killed me twice tonight and failed. Might as well get patched up and try for a lucky third.".

Seeing the wary looks from his fellows inside, the Risuri glances back up the sea-wall. "No, they're not behind me. Must be hiding in the gate tower - I hope it falls on the pack of them!". He spits again, this time back up the sea-wall.
One of the rebels hastily moves to the nearby winch and raises the portcullis just enough to allow Tok to scramble under. The other two cover the causeway with crossbows lest the infiltrators in the lighthouse come back.

"Anyone else still out there?", one asks grimly and the portcullis drops back into place with an echoing clang when Tok shakes his head.

The nearest rebel, wearing the markings of a sergeant, points toward the inner fort. "You better report in and let them know what you learned out there". Then the three of them turn their attention back toward the Risuri naval ships in the harbour, allowing Tok to slip away.

The streets of the outer fort are empty but for the occasional passage of troops of soldiers rushing to emplacements on the walls or pushing wagons of supplies towards the inner fort. No one spares a thought for the bedraggled soldier moving through the streets, and Tok soon finds himself back in the ruined building opposite the warehouse.

At first, it appears that the two guards previously stationed on the front door are gone, but then they come into view around the side of the building. A few minutes' observation reveals that they are patrolling the perimeter of the building, appearing and disappearing every few minutes. The warehouse behind them is dark.
Tok watches for a short while, trying to figure out whether anything is happening inside. Eventually, he decides the only way to find out is to look. When the guards are out of sight on their rounds, he approaches the front door and attempts to open it.
Tok is surprised to find the door unlocked, and quickly pushes it open and slips inside. He carefully swings the door shut behind him.

The warehouse is cluttered with crates and pallets, stacked in haphazard piles throughout the single large room. Some are open, revealing weapons, armour and preserved supplies, but by far the majority are firmly nailed shut.

In the middle of the darkened room, visible only by virtue of Tok's Icon-augmented vision, stands a jumbled mass of metal. Only by moving closer does Tok make out what it is; more than fifty swords, arrows and spikes of rough metal occupying a space less than ten feet across. Some stand blade-upright on a low wide dais, their hilts secured in gaps in the stone floor. Others rest on nearby crates, their points dangerously overreaching the edges. Some even hang from the rafters above, positioned at head and neck height.

Intrigued, Tok carefully moves closer, and it is only then that he realises that each of the items is inlaid with gold. Underneath the jumble, inscribed into the stone of the dais, lies an intricate pattern of inlaid residuum, gold and silver - a teleportation circle.
Finding a secure nook, Tok sits down to gaze at the circle. He sniffs the air, and tries some minor incantations, trying to discern the answers to the two questions in the forefront of his mind: "How long has this been here?" and "Has it been recently used?".
The stone around and within the teleportation circle is smooth, worn down by the passage of feet over the years. Cleary the circle has been there for some time. The blades, on the other hand, appear new. None of them are rusted or bear the patina of use, and the ropes suspending them from the ceiling are fresh. He recognises the blades as Risuri in origin. Then he notices that there is no path through them large enough to permit a humanoid passage, and that they all point inward toward the centre of the circle. Clearly the Duchess' troops have trapped the teleportation circle to wound or kill inbound travellers.

As near as Tok can tell, the runic inscription creating the circle is complete. It should be glowing with power and the air should be humming with energy. Instead the circle is dull and almost-lifeless, and the air in the warehouse is still.
Tok is growing impatient. He expected Nathan to be imprisoned here, but instead has found a quite different mystery. He scans the room, looking for any more mundane signs of recent activity.

Tok turns to search the rest of the room. The torches resting in sconces on the wall are blackened from use, but they are not warm to the touch. The lids of some of the opened crates lie haphazardly nearby, as though thrown aside in a hurry, but there is little to conclusively indicate whether the warehouse has seen recent use.

Abandoning his search, Tok returns to the teleportation circle. He freezes for a few minutes when the voices of the patrolling rebels pause outside the door to the warehouse, but then they move on. Taking the Icon of Nem from around his neck, Tok carefully reaches through the tangle of blades and touches the golden coin to the circle. Nothing happens. Frowning, Tok withdraws his hand and touches the Icon instead to one of the inlaid blades. Again, nothing happens. Tok touches the Icon to a few more blades, just to be sure, but the result is the same. There doesn't seem to be a connection between the Icon and either the circle or the blades.
Figuring there's not a lot more to be gleaned from here and not having access to a travelling circle ritual, Tok decides to leave. But first, he quickly un-fortifies the circle, and for good measure sets up a hasty trap facing the door. It's not much, but anyone entering in a hurry who does not swing their shield and step just so must either pause and pick their way carefully or get jabbed.

After listening for the guards, Tok then lets himself back out and hurries away. He can hear the sounds of invasion proceeding apace, but still wonders what became of Nathan. Disguising himself as a very green rebel soldier - almost too young to be in a battle - he approaches a pair of busy looking soldiers. Hastily but hesitantly, the youth confesses that he is under orders to reinforce the guard on the prisoners but in the confusion and dark has lost his way.

A grizzled veteran laughs companionably. "You're clear on the wrong side of town boy. The stables is on the other side of the inner fort, over to the east." Then he and his men move off toward the outer wall.

Tok hurriedly makes his way across town, careful to avoid coming with sight of the inner fort walls. Tok can easily make out guards patrolling it, and no doubt they were be curious about the lone figure moving across town rather than towards the invaders.

Eventually, he finds the stables to which the veteran had referred. The shutters on the windows have been nailed and reinforced to form a makeshift prison. Even under siege, the building is guarded by 10 rebels, stationed at the main door and doing patrols of surrounding streets.
Tok swears under his breath. "Too many!", he mutters, "Don't they know there's a battle going on?".

Tok is about to use a direct approach, when he remembers the amulet. Swiftly, he makes his way around to the rear of the stables. Waiting for a break in the guards' patrols, Tok triggers the amulet, crosses the lane, and passes through the wall. He shivers as he walks through the rear wall of the stable, his mind struggling to process the fact that his body is passing effortlessly through a wall he knows should be solid. Then he emerges inside the stable and the feeling passes.

The changeling finds himself in what was obviously once a horse stall, although iron bars have been installed in the entrance to create an impromptu cell, which Tok now shares with at least 10 other people. Stone and mortar walls form either side of the stall. Tok can see another similar stall directly opposite, and other stalls either side of that one. Each is full of captives; mostly human.

The inhabitants of Tok's stall are alert and staring toward the wall closest to the harbour. The sounds of battle are clearly audible over the nervous braying of animals elsewhere in the building. As Tok emerges, a human woman says excitedly to a tiefling companion, "Rescue! Our people come for us!" The tiefling smiles hopefully and nods, then turns with a start as she catches sight of Tok at the rear of the cell. Her mouth forms a stunned 'O'.
Having only a few seconds left to respond, Tok's insubstantial form dashes through the small crowd and into the main hall of the stable, just making it through the bars before the magic fades. Looking hurriedly up and down the aisle between the stalls, Tok is relieved to note that there don't appear to be any guards inside the building. He dashes away from the door in search of a hiding place, leaving the surprised captives in his wake murmuring in surprise. At the far end of the aisle, he finds an open stall occupied by a number of sheep and a horse. The stall is crowded, and it is lit by a nearby lantern, but it is out of sight of the cells and the door. Tok slips inside.

The horse looks at the young risuri soldier that has suddenly appeared in its stall and snorts disdainfully. The sheep crowd into the far corner, bleating plaintively. Tok extends a hand to placate them, which only increases their volume. Fortunately, the sound of cannon, musket and spell coming from the harbour seems to drown their cries. No one comes to investigate, and after Tok spends a minute anxiously expecting to be discovered at any moment, the cowardly creatures cease their bleating.

In the new silence, Tok hears a voice speaking in Danoran from a nearby cell. "Who are you?"
Tok responds in kind, calmly and quietly, but just loud enough to carry to the nearby speaker: "At this moment, I am an agent of Lya. I'm also armed, and quite possibly dangerous. Whether that is to your advantage or not depends on who you are, what you want to do, and whether you have the sense to talk quietly. Raise a fuss, and it will be as if I were never here."
The figure in the next cell laughs. "Tough talk from someone foolish enough to sneak into a prison."
"Who is this Lya you are supposedly an agent of, and why should I care?"
"I'm tasked to find Nathan. If you've a mind to help me, you might gain your freedom at the same time. If I'm wasting my time, I'll just leave now."
"A fine promise, indeed," the figure replies. "Alright, I'll help... once you tell me who in the Bleak Gate you're talking about. Are you magically prevented from using surnames or something?"
"Jierre. Nathan Jierre."
"The rich kid? Not sure why you'd bother. All he ever does is look through his telescope. He once ran through town hollering about some yellow frog. A frog!"

The figure falls silent for a second. "He's not here, but if you get me and my people out safely, I'll tell you where to find him".
Tok surveys the room, then turns to the spokesman, "Any warriors in here?" Several Danorans look to one of their number, but there is no further response. He turns again to the spokesman, "Well, I'll get your cells open, but there are about a dozen soldiers out there. If we do this the hard way, not everyone is going to make it. On the up side, this town will be overrun by legitimate Risuri guardsman within a couple of hours, at which point you'll hopefully be free to go."

Tok looks around the room again. "To get you out sooner, we'll need a distraction; a big one". He moves out of the stall and begins to survey the tools at his disposal.
The man in the next cell has the face and build of a soldier, but the ugly bandage wound around his head and over one eye tells Tok that he was on the losing end of the Duchess' invasion.
"You plan to sneak one hundred of us past the guards? You are mad", he says. "Give me a weapon and unlock these doors, then get out of here and bring your forces to free us." He pauses. "I have no idea why one lot of Risuri wishes to battle another, but I guess I choose to prefer dirt-worshippers who will free us to those who won't".
Tok unlocks the makeshift gates, then tosses the Danoran a pair of daggers. "All that I have to spare." He glances around the room, "though you might find some decent cudgels scattered about".

Tok clambers up the stalls and after about 5 minutes of work manages to dislodge a small patch of roof sufficiently to squeeze out. On a quiet night the noise may have carried, but there's more than enough racket outside to cover a few creaks and pops. "Stay safe; I'll see who I can find", and with that Tok scrambles up and finds himself on the stable roof, with the sounds and smells of battle wafting toward him on the night air. He watches for a little while until the guards are not watching, then nimbly jumps down and saunters away into the streets, keeping a wary eye out as he makes his way back towards the gates guarding the eastern sea-wall.

 

[Colmarr]

Session 7

As the battle for the harbour continued, RT3 held their position in the lighthouse. Eventually, a longboat containing Captain Smith and a squad of Risuri marines came ashore. Captain Smith handed the investigators cigars, and enquired as to their activities. Erik used his good-standing as a veteran of the Fourth Yerasol War to convince the marines to accompany them.

Smith was followed later by a crew of medics, including a half-elven druid named Denin. The Risuri healers managed to restore some of RT3’s vitality, but they were still sorely pressed by the exertions of the day.

The attacking marines quickly established siege engines at the edge of the harbour and advanced. Just as they began to assault the walls, a fireball erupted in the harbour. One of the Risuri ships exploded into flame, and Wilheim spied a figure aboard wielding a weapon that seemed to change between a blade and a whip. The fire-and-smoke-wreathed figure jumped thirty feet to the sea wall on the other side of the harbour. The lanterns there went dark and the figure disappeared – only to reappear moments later at the base of a siege tower. It disappeared inside, visible only as flashes of flame, then re-emerged at the top only to slay both rebels and loyalists alike. With the wall clear, the figure jumped down into the outer fort.

RT3 decided to investigate, and moved off toward fort. Just as they neared the gate at the end of the seawall, a note of power rang out, sending the few defenders there to the ground. Tok emerged from the darkness and waved his companions through. Erik spared a few disapproving words for the changeling, and Tok studiously ignored them.

Moving to the spot where the flaming figure disappeared, Thornt’s keen nose picked up a blood trial, which RT3 followed to the warehouse Tok had discovered earlier. The obstacle he had left behind had been cleared away, but there was no sign of the fire creature, and no indication of what it had done there.

A marine runner summoned the investigators to the other side of town, where a makeshift prison filled with Danorans had been discovered. When they made their way there, the prisoners responded extremely well to Tok’s presence. Hessar Marseine, the Danoran lieutenant who led the captives, pointed RT3 to a maid who could explain how the Duchess’ forces had taken the fort – she had used the teleportation circle. Marseine maintained that the circle key was secret, and that the Duchess must have had inside help. When asked by Tok, he advised that Nathan Jierre would likely be found within the inner fort.

A flash lit up the sky, and footsteps sounded on the roof of the brig. Rushing outside, RT3 caught sight of the fire creature. Using powerful magic, it supplanted the street with a steaming jungle. The inner fort wall, caught in the effect, simply disappeared, and the figure charged forward into the inner fort.

RT3 made to follow, only for one of the Danorans to call “There is another way!”
The man, one of the architects of the fort, drew them a map of the sewers leading to the castle, and the route proved smelly and dirty but accurate. RT3 emerged in the basement of the inner fort. Moving up through the building, they noticed a tangle of hedge outside the ground floor windows. Upstairs, they discovered a collection of bodies; all marked with cauterised wounds.

Sneaking upstairs, they overheard voices from beyond a door and paused to listen. Inside, they could hear three figures (who turned out to be the Duchess, Nathan Jierre and the fire creature – an eladrin warrior named Asrabey Varal) discussing the Danoran activities on the island. Nathan mentioned a name – Kasvarina Varal – but most interestingly, the Duchess maintained that she had discovered something that threatened both Risur and the Unseen Court.

When Asrabey came to the door to check his escape route, he discovered RT3 crouched outside. Immediately his whip blade struck out at Wilheim, and then the fight was on in earnest. Tok attempted to call for parley, but Cassi continued her attacks and the eladrin returned her blows in kind.

Asrabey retreated to stand above the barely conscious duchess, who was slumped against a platform. Thornt pressed his attack, unleashing a cloud of stinging insects that filled the area. The Duchess cried out, then was still. Tok’s subsequent attempt to magically revive her failed. She was dead.

When Asrabey fey stepped into the party’s midst and unleashed a whirling blow, Wilheim’s luck and stamina ran out. The deva fell to the floor. Asrabey then made for Nathan Jierre, but RT3 were pressing too closely. Under assault from Erik and Cassi, the eladrin abandoned the tiefling. He teleported to the tip of the telescope that dominated the room, and from there jumped onto the roof. Cassi raced after him up the stairs, but Asrabey was gone.

In the aftermath of the battle, RT3 took Nathan Jierre into custody. The tiefling explained that he used Axis Island as a place to study the planets, and how they affected the world. Looking through his telescope, Tok discovered it was pointed directly at a distant blue sun similar to the one RT3 had experienced during earlier plane shifts. A dissected yellow frog was pinned down in a nearby cabinet. Jierre explained that Kasvarina Varal was an eladrin female and had toured the island a few months earlier and created the teleportation circle. When he explained that he had naively provided the Duchess the key to the fort’s teleportation circle, Tok pointed out to the teenager that he had betrayed Danor. In response, the tiefling begged them to grant him asylum in Risur. RT3 took him with them when they left the fort, unsure whether they had the authority to answer his request.

When more Risuri marines came through the sewers to assault the inner fort defenders from the rear, they found themselves ambushed by a fey entity lurking in the hedge maze surrounding the inner keep. Eventually though, the creature was routed and destroyed.

With Axis fort subdued, RT3 returned to the Risuri ships docked at the harbour. The captains advised them to allow Nathan Jierre passage to Risur because the tiefling could be a valuable source of information on Danor. The investigators put the thankful tiefling on a vessel, which soon departed.

As the light faded, and after most of the Risuri vessels had left the harbour, a Danoran warship named the Lux Prefectusque steamed into the harbour. Lya Jierre came down the gangplank accompanied by two bodyguards; a muscled half-elf named Rush and an unnamed half-orc who wore a strange padded helmet. Lya asked for her island back. Shown a letter of authority from King Aodhan himself, Erik signed a deed on behalf of Risur that released all claim to the island and handed it back to Danor.

Lya thanked RT3 for their efforts, and expressed the wish to meet with them again during the much-publicised peace conference to be held in a year’s time; or even at the wedding. When she – and later her half-orc bodyguard – enquired after Nathan, RT3 lied and said he was being treated in a nearby building. Then they boarded the Impossible and sailed away from Axis Island.

 

[Colmarr]

Session 8a

In the days and weeks after the incident on Axis Island, RT3 returned to their usual routine. Wilheim heard from one of his contacts that Nathan Jierre has indeed been offered asylum by Risur and was hosted by a Flint noble named Anton Feldspar. The young tiefling was said to be continuing his studies in astronomy.

For a while, the investigators were minor celebrities, but news soon became old and the press moved on to current stories, like the impending wedding of well-to-do socialite and famous bachelor Guy Goodson.

As spring blossomed throughout Flint, a badly mauled body was discovered in the Nettles and RT3 was assigned the case. Their investigations soon discovered that a pit fighting ring had sprung up in which the involuntary combatants were pitted against wild animals. Tok convinced some ne’er-do-wells that he was interested in betting on the fights, and managed to talk his way into the underground area where a fight was taking place. Unexpectedly, the floor shook and dust fell from the roof as Flint shuddered under a minor earthquake – the first in living memory. RT3 knew they were outnumbered, but recorded the names of a number of people present and collared them later. Under interrogation, they revealed that Barris, a dragonborn lieutenant of the crime boss Lorcan Kell, was organising the fights. RT3 tracked Barris to a fight at a dockside tavern named the Undertaker’s Repose. With the aid of squads of Flint police, RT3 busted the fight and took Barris alive. The dragonborn was convicted of arranging the fights and sentenced to 6 months prison in the Goodson Estuarial Reformitary, a floating prison in Flint Bay. The greater charge – murder – didn’t stick.

Sara’s pregnancy progressed apace, and she began to show the signs of her impending motherhood. She complained to Erik that he was away too often, and that she didn’t feel safe among the isolated houses of Pine Islands. She insisted that Erik install iron bars on the windows and a crossbar on the door, and she took to scattering salt at the thresholds to the house – a folk ward against magical creatures.

Late one afternoon when Erik had called in sick, Assistant Chief Inspector Delft called RT3 into his office. Brandishing an official-looking scroll, he angrily informed the investigators that Minister for Outsiders Lya Jierre had filed a formal complaint against them. “What were you thinking, lying about the whereabouts of her cousin?” Fortunately, Delft seemed more concerned about the pressure he was receiving from Inspectress Saxby than about Lya Jierre’s displeasure. When Tok explained that it had been Erik that mislead Lya and that Tok had not felt like he could counter his sergeant in front of a Danoran, Delft accepted the excuse and dismissed the squad

As spring faded, and the heat of summer approached, a spate of thefts in the Artisan’s market in Bosum Strand drew the RHC’s attention. The thefts were not violent, but the merchandise taken was valuable, so the RHC was called to investigate. Initially RT3 were baffled, but when the thief attempted to lift Thornt’s purse, the shifter discovered that it was a pixie behind the crime wave. Another quake – bigger than the last – threw the market into chaos and the thief escaped. Tok and Thornt set up a sting, and RT3 tracked the thief into the Cloudwood. Passing through the thick forest, they felt eyes on them at all times, and a primal feeling of dread settled on them. Only Thornt seemed immune.
Eventually, RT3 discovered the pixie’s home – decorated with the sparkling proceeds of his crimes - and his heavily-pregnant wife. The creatures were too agile to capture, but Tok managed to (with some assistance from Erik’s brandished pistol) convince the pixie to cease his crime wave. RT3 took back the stolen wares, and in return Thornt left his coin pouch behind.

RT3 returned to Central District and filed their investigation report. As they left for the day, Tok discovered a scroll in his pigeonhole. Delivered shortly before by the RHC mail clerk Alton, it was nevertheless strange:

XTHAM MAXIX QTFF RX, KLD PKLG PYIX
YL CMIXXM, TL CXQXI, LXKMA CQKPBG CAYIX
K QKILTLH TC HTWXL, UYI YLX MY MXFF
AXKI TM MYFFTLH, DXWKCMKMTYL'C RXFF.​