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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Echolocation" data-source="post: 8211055" data-attributes="member: 7011911">Session 46Courtesy of Ella's playerThe session began with Ella in rather a rush to inform Delft of the explosive plans we’d found and send word to the king. Delft agreed that it was very concerning but didn’t really have much to offer other than that. We sent word to the king via Sergeant Deb’s feather and then continued about our jobs because there really isn’t time to sit around waiting for a reply when there’s a basement full of criminals to chat to.We started with Doug Clapper, the teenage shopkeep from Soknik Repairs, who seemed genuinely innocent and repentant and has very little useful information to offer: only that the last time he’d seen the owner of Soknik Repairs was the previous morning, and that activity into and out of the shop had died down over the last day.Next, we tried to question the dwarf that we’d captured in the underground hideout but found her rather unforthcoming. She did mention Zubov’s icy pipe though - a reference which immediately piqued John’s interest, as he recalled the vision he’d received in the Apet ziggurat: of his former partner, speaking with a dwarf who was smoking a pipe made of ice. As the gunslinger thought about this, he recalled that shortly before she died, his partner’s behaviour had changed... she’d worn darker nail polish, and dyed her hair blonde. The conversation with the dwarf cultist rapidly deteriotated after that...Next up we talked to Rufus Hammerton, asking him about the shadowy figures Kell had been working with. After some expert Intimidation by Angharad the thug agreed to talk - in exchange for having the cases against him dropped that is. Apparently Mr. Hammerton is a bit of a local sports celebrity and if his illicit activities went to court it would rather tarnish his reputation. We agreed, and sought out the appropriate paperwork. As Ella filled out Rufus’ papers, Angharad attempted to fill out papers for legally arming Lisandra’s family. This proved slightly time-consuming, as Maxwell had run out of the necessary forms after the last child Angharad armed.Midway through the paperwork, we received a reply from Sergeant Deb via Feather. The king had been informed of the explosive threat and additional security measures were in place. The missions we’d sent out that morning were successful: a den of thieves in North Shore had been scouted and two more dens of thieves had been discovered in the Nettles.After the papers for Rufus were finished, the lieutenant shared what he knew. The “shadowy figures” Kell had been working with were just clients: they paid Kell for his services and occasionally sent people to accompany his missions, that was all. They insisted on meeting in secure locations were reached via “weird teleportation naughty word” - and supplied objects for getting there: rusted metal rings that were stepped through while wearing an amulet. Kell probably has some of the amulets but it’s the other group that controls the rings and tells Kell’s men where to go. Kell’s guild has a regular contact with the shadowy group but Rufus didn’t know who. Another of Kell’s lieutenants - Quentin Augst - should though. He’s a lawyer in Central but is likely currently in hiding. If we can find him we might be able to find Kell’s contact with the Obscurati.Rufus also assured us that - somewhat unexpectedly - Kell doesn’t actually have anything against us: he’s just doing business. It’s the shadowy guys who want us dead.Following on from that we decided to investigate some of the leads from Soknik Repairs: namely the note about stealing Pardwight’s aether stores and the name Brigette Coulson. We quickly discovered that the aether stores had already been stolen and that Brigette Coulson - who’d reportedly been acting somewhat strange and cold of late - had seemingly packed up and left. Presumably part of the Eschatologist conspiracy...As it was now early evening, we reported to Sergeant Deb at Hotel Aurum. One of our scouting missions had succeeded but the other two missions had failed - although thankfully no officers died. Deciding to take matters into our own hands, we took ourselves and a group of officers and military into the Nettles to Bust Up a den of thieves there. Only to find that the location was completely abandoned… Kell’s thugs had already cleared out and left. Having thus completely failed to accomplish anything useful with our missions for the day, we gave up and went to bed.The next morning began with Angharad noting some odd fey behaviour around his home and some even odder people behaviour as he headed to work. Lots of dark glances and whispered remarks from Cloudwood citizens. He made it to HQ though, where he met Asrabey and - after some brief discussion - agreed to accompany the fey to Hotel Aurum to meet Ella and John after they finished sending off the morning missions.Once regrouped, Asrabey announced that he’d like us to arrange a meeting with Gale - as an eladrin rather than a true fey she cannot be compelled by Ekossigan, and she might be able to help us find the fugitive fey. Using one of our Feathers, we sent Gale a message and started heading toward the Cloudwood. Asrabey also shared some information with us about Ekossigan: apparently the widdershins prophet can influence the seasons: his joy can turn winter into spring and his coldness can cause summer snow. Like the other fey lords, he lives up to the title of Unseen by being invisible and undetectable to Divination magic. The only part of him that’s visible is a mask. Apparently Ekossigan’s invisible skin is made of wood and can burn, but mundane metals cannot harm it - only cold iron.Eventually we received Gale’s reply, instructing us to come to a particular clearing in the Cloudwood, where lovers once tied ribbons to trees to mark their love. As Angharad was the once who’d sent the message and thus the one who received the reply, this generated some teasing remarks from Ella once she realised where we were headed. Nonetheless, we made it there only to find no sign of Gale. Instead a breeze stirred the ribbons on the trees, eventually forming the eladrin’s voice: she asked why we had come, and Angharad told her we sought Ekossigan. Upon hearing that, Gale told us to leave and cease our pursuit of the fey lord. When we refused, the wind picked up and the eladrin’s voice said almost apologetically: “You must understand, I am bound by my word,” before elemental matter crackled and swirled around us...Leading us to wonder: are we about to be fried by lightning? Will a hurricane appear and sweep us away to the Land of Oz? Or is Gale just really fond of dramatic entrances? Find out this week: on Zeitgeist!</blockquote>

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