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<blockquote data-quote="Tolamaker" data-source="post: 8669291" data-attributes="member: 7031495"><p><strong>Session 36: To Speak with a King</strong></p><p></p><p>The party awakes the next day, and make their way to the castle. The castle is filled with a jumble of diplomats, farmers, and merchants, all here to have audience with the king after his time grieving. Balan goes off to get their petition in, and the party explores the castle to see what there is to see. Gruz is interested in seeing the Book of the Eight Lands, as he has never seen it in person. Eluriah stays behind to listen in on the scuttlebutt.</p><p></p><p>In the library, there are copies of the bok out on display. A variety of clerks help Dasseni citizens find their family’s place in the line of succession. First, Gruz goes to see who is now next in line after King Steppengard. The first name after the queen and children who have been marked off, is Duke Gallo. Gruz is put off by this, but doesn’t believe Duke Gallo would assassinate the family of the man who gave him his lordship. Gruz then goes off to find his own family, and finds that he is 523,561st in line for the throne. Aripose also finds that there are Sisgetedes in Dassen, who are very far down the line.</p><p></p><p>While waiting in the halls, Eluriah overhears two Talon guardsman speaking quietly about “meeting the Inquisitor’s needs,” and the noise he has been making in the dungeon. She goes off to find the others and tell them, but Jineer finds them at the same time, and says the court is opening.</p><p></p><p>They are ushered into the throne room, where a trial of sorts is taking place. King Steppengard looks haggard, but alert, as Nina Glemmer, his advisor, draws a Zone of Truth around a man in chains. “That’s my father’s scribe, Relder!” Jineer says, a bit too loudly.</p><p></p><p>Nina Glemmer pulls forth a scroll and begins to read from it. “Relder of Nasham, you have been brought before your king to answer for your actions, and that of your master. Tell us what you and your associates were doing the day of Queen Izabella’s death.</p><p></p><p>Relder looks like he is struggling to answer, leading to more murmurs. When he opens his mouth, he says “We… we were lying in wait. We had hired a… trapper, to upset her horse… NO!” Suddenly he is more erratic, struggling against his chains. “We have done nothing! I am a loyal subject, as is my lord Jinis!”</p><p></p><p>“And what of Gallo, man?” Glemmer says, cutting him off. “What role does he have to play in this? He has the most to gain from such a rise in station.”</p><p></p><p>The man’s eyes widen. “Duke Gallo is my king’s most fervent defender, his great shield to the north, he-“ his voice catches, and he laughs wildly. “haha! He made sure to finish them off! 'Even the youngest?' we asked, and he said yes, even the baby! He found a witch who would do such a thing, he promised her their hearts!”</p><p></p><p>The crowd’s murmurs rise to a roar, and Glemmer returns to the kings side, to whisper to him. He does not take his eyes from the man, who is still raving.</p><p></p><p>King Steppengard rises slowly, and the people in the court quiet. He is silent for a moment, and then sighs. I would like nothing more than to execute this man for his part in… my family’s murder. However, it can plainly be seen that his mind has been tampered with, and I must serve justice, not my heart.” He turns to the audience, giving notice to the proxies. “Sentencing shall be stayed, until it can be determined if this is a ploy to escape justice, or if this man is merely a pawn in Gallo’s grander scheme. Nina Glemmer shall see to untangling his mind.” He looks to the proxies and waits. None speak, and the man is taken away by guards.</p><p></p><p>King Steppengard sighs again. “We will now hold audiences.”</p><p></p><p>Farmers and Merchants begin to make their way to the king, offering condolences before airing their grievances or pleas. As they await their turn, Eluriah and Aripose notice the Ragesian diplomat and his inquisitor, standing to the side. Aripose sneaks by them, and overhears them speaking of Jinis, and the Inquisitor says that he has not “given us any information of value.”</p><p></p><p>Eventually, Gruz and the rest are called forward. Gruz introduces himself, and pleads the case of Seaquen, begging the king to not allow a foreign army to march through Dassen. The crowd murmurs in assent, seeing the wisdom of his words, but King Steppengard is stone-faced, listening to both Gruz, and Nina Glemmer in his ear. Eluriah can read lips, and can see that Glemmer is reminding him all the great things the Ragesians have promised, and the thorn that Seaquen has been.</p><p></p><p>When Gruz is done, Steppengard is silent for a while. “I must ask you a question, Gruz Greatsword. Several weeks ago, a merchant by the name of Hedrik came to our court, bearing an writ that guaranteed him a payment no less than 1000 Dasseni gold in return for “Services rendered unto the king.” I, of course, was required to tell him that he had been swindled, and that no money would be forthcoming. However, my wife, hearing his plea, took her earrings off,and gave them to the captain, and begged for his forgiveness.” He chokes, and is unable to speak for a moment. “She was your queen, and she paid your debt.” His eyes are hard. “My question then is why should I not clap you in irons right now?”</p><p></p><p>As the king speaks, the hearts of the party sinks into their stomachs. Gruz falls to his knees, and bows to the floor, begging forgiveness. When King Steppengard speaks, it is loud and clear. “It is only because of your record that I do not leave you to rot in the dungeon. You shall repay me 1000 gold, alongside a further fine of 500 gold. Your record is also stricken from the annals of Dassen, and you have no right to wear that cape about your shoulders. You will give it to the Talon as you are escorted from my castle.”</p><p></p><p>Talon guards emerge from the crowd, and begin to move the party off. Commander Falk returns, and carefully counts the money they remove from their bag of holding. They are then further escorted back to the Golden Griffon. But as they arrive, the Talon do not leave. Instead, more and more of them begin to gather. When Orwin goes to grab a wurstbrat, a bard bumps into him, and hisses “You’re in danger! They mean to arrest you all!” Orwin rushes back to warn the others, as a member of the Talon steps forth and shouts up to the suite that they are under arrest “For conspiracy in the assassination of Queen Izabella and the heirs to the throne.”</p><p></p><p>Warning the others, the party is split. On the one hand, they are innocent, and have no desire to go to prison. However, some of them believe that perhaps by turning themselves in, they can clear their names. Orwin does say that though the king is sad, he appears to be of sound mind, and honorable.</p><p></p><p>In the end, the party splits. Gruz, Aripose, Mishka, and Eluriah cause a distraction by turning themselves in, though Gruz and Mishka are beaten senseless as they fight back. Orwin, Balan, Touka, and Jineer escape out the back, racing down the streets of Bresk on their sleigh.</p><p></p><p><strong>Post-Session Thoughts</strong></p><p>Hoo boy, this did not go like I planned. Or rather, it went exactly as I planned up until the guards arrived. I moved up the night raid because the party seemed to be acting like they would have more time to do things in Dassen, and I wanted to dissuade them of the notion. However, the second one of them (Gruz, I think) floated the idea of turning themselves in, things very quickly began to change. I ended up stopping the session about 20 minutes early, and was honest with them that this was in no way what I thought would happen, so I needed to take a week to plan some things out. I know that there is info on the dungeons, but I hadn't really read up on them lately.</p><p></p><p>Honestly, even with the curveball ending, the session was great. Everything before meeting with Steppengard was fun as they all tried to guess what was going on in the minds of the proxies, and get information from the Ragesians. The reactions over Discord as Steppengard revealed that Hedrik had been there before, was delicious. They were groaning and everything, but I just talked right over them as he handed down his judgement. Tons of fun.</p><p></p><p>Finally, Orwin's Flaw is a deathly fear of the Inquisitors, so his player decided that Orwin would not turn himself in to the grasp of an Inquisitor. So we'll get a new character in the dungeon! Not sure if he'll stick around or not, but we'll find out!</p><p></p><p><strong>Changes to the Module:</strong></p><p>In the book, King Steppengard throws them out because his mind has been poisoned against Seaquen, and he laments that no one else knows his sorrow. I changed that to make him a little more sympathetic, as well as pay the players back for getting one over on me earlier in the campaign. One fun tidbit: during the mid-session break, I came back to them talking about the captain, and joking that he would be at the court. I had thought about doing that, but couldn't think of a way to do it without it deflating the seriousness of the situation. So, Steppengard got to tell a beautiful but sad story about his wife. I'm afraid I made him a little too sympathetic.</p><p></p><p>I changed Glibglammer to Glemmer to give her less of a tricksy name, but I feel like it actually meant people paid less attention to her. Maybe she'll come visit the dungeon to gloat.</p><p></p><p>Next session, it's Prison Time!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Tolamaker, post: 8669291, member: 7031495"] [B]Session 36: To Speak with a King[/B] The party awakes the next day, and make their way to the castle. The castle is filled with a jumble of diplomats, farmers, and merchants, all here to have audience with the king after his time grieving. Balan goes off to get their petition in, and the party explores the castle to see what there is to see. Gruz is interested in seeing the Book of the Eight Lands, as he has never seen it in person. Eluriah stays behind to listen in on the scuttlebutt. In the library, there are copies of the bok out on display. A variety of clerks help Dasseni citizens find their family’s place in the line of succession. First, Gruz goes to see who is now next in line after King Steppengard. The first name after the queen and children who have been marked off, is Duke Gallo. Gruz is put off by this, but doesn’t believe Duke Gallo would assassinate the family of the man who gave him his lordship. Gruz then goes off to find his own family, and finds that he is 523,561st in line for the throne. Aripose also finds that there are Sisgetedes in Dassen, who are very far down the line. While waiting in the halls, Eluriah overhears two Talon guardsman speaking quietly about “meeting the Inquisitor’s needs,” and the noise he has been making in the dungeon. She goes off to find the others and tell them, but Jineer finds them at the same time, and says the court is opening. They are ushered into the throne room, where a trial of sorts is taking place. King Steppengard looks haggard, but alert, as Nina Glemmer, his advisor, draws a Zone of Truth around a man in chains. “That’s my father’s scribe, Relder!” Jineer says, a bit too loudly. Nina Glemmer pulls forth a scroll and begins to read from it. “Relder of Nasham, you have been brought before your king to answer for your actions, and that of your master. Tell us what you and your associates were doing the day of Queen Izabella’s death. Relder looks like he is struggling to answer, leading to more murmurs. When he opens his mouth, he says “We… we were lying in wait. We had hired a… trapper, to upset her horse… NO!” Suddenly he is more erratic, struggling against his chains. “We have done nothing! I am a loyal subject, as is my lord Jinis!” “And what of Gallo, man?” Glemmer says, cutting him off. “What role does he have to play in this? He has the most to gain from such a rise in station.” The man’s eyes widen. “Duke Gallo is my king’s most fervent defender, his great shield to the north, he-“ his voice catches, and he laughs wildly. “haha! He made sure to finish them off! 'Even the youngest?' we asked, and he said yes, even the baby! He found a witch who would do such a thing, he promised her their hearts!” The crowd’s murmurs rise to a roar, and Glemmer returns to the kings side, to whisper to him. He does not take his eyes from the man, who is still raving. King Steppengard rises slowly, and the people in the court quiet. He is silent for a moment, and then sighs. I would like nothing more than to execute this man for his part in… my family’s murder. However, it can plainly be seen that his mind has been tampered with, and I must serve justice, not my heart.” He turns to the audience, giving notice to the proxies. “Sentencing shall be stayed, until it can be determined if this is a ploy to escape justice, or if this man is merely a pawn in Gallo’s grander scheme. Nina Glemmer shall see to untangling his mind.” He looks to the proxies and waits. None speak, and the man is taken away by guards. King Steppengard sighs again. “We will now hold audiences.” Farmers and Merchants begin to make their way to the king, offering condolences before airing their grievances or pleas. As they await their turn, Eluriah and Aripose notice the Ragesian diplomat and his inquisitor, standing to the side. Aripose sneaks by them, and overhears them speaking of Jinis, and the Inquisitor says that he has not “given us any information of value.” Eventually, Gruz and the rest are called forward. Gruz introduces himself, and pleads the case of Seaquen, begging the king to not allow a foreign army to march through Dassen. The crowd murmurs in assent, seeing the wisdom of his words, but King Steppengard is stone-faced, listening to both Gruz, and Nina Glemmer in his ear. Eluriah can read lips, and can see that Glemmer is reminding him all the great things the Ragesians have promised, and the thorn that Seaquen has been. When Gruz is done, Steppengard is silent for a while. “I must ask you a question, Gruz Greatsword. Several weeks ago, a merchant by the name of Hedrik came to our court, bearing an writ that guaranteed him a payment no less than 1000 Dasseni gold in return for “Services rendered unto the king.” I, of course, was required to tell him that he had been swindled, and that no money would be forthcoming. However, my wife, hearing his plea, took her earrings off,and gave them to the captain, and begged for his forgiveness.” He chokes, and is unable to speak for a moment. “She was your queen, and she paid your debt.” His eyes are hard. “My question then is why should I not clap you in irons right now?” As the king speaks, the hearts of the party sinks into their stomachs. Gruz falls to his knees, and bows to the floor, begging forgiveness. When King Steppengard speaks, it is loud and clear. “It is only because of your record that I do not leave you to rot in the dungeon. You shall repay me 1000 gold, alongside a further fine of 500 gold. Your record is also stricken from the annals of Dassen, and you have no right to wear that cape about your shoulders. You will give it to the Talon as you are escorted from my castle.” Talon guards emerge from the crowd, and begin to move the party off. Commander Falk returns, and carefully counts the money they remove from their bag of holding. They are then further escorted back to the Golden Griffon. But as they arrive, the Talon do not leave. Instead, more and more of them begin to gather. When Orwin goes to grab a wurstbrat, a bard bumps into him, and hisses “You’re in danger! They mean to arrest you all!” Orwin rushes back to warn the others, as a member of the Talon steps forth and shouts up to the suite that they are under arrest “For conspiracy in the assassination of Queen Izabella and the heirs to the throne.” Warning the others, the party is split. On the one hand, they are innocent, and have no desire to go to prison. However, some of them believe that perhaps by turning themselves in, they can clear their names. Orwin does say that though the king is sad, he appears to be of sound mind, and honorable. In the end, the party splits. Gruz, Aripose, Mishka, and Eluriah cause a distraction by turning themselves in, though Gruz and Mishka are beaten senseless as they fight back. Orwin, Balan, Touka, and Jineer escape out the back, racing down the streets of Bresk on their sleigh. [B]Post-Session Thoughts[/B] Hoo boy, this did not go like I planned. Or rather, it went exactly as I planned up until the guards arrived. I moved up the night raid because the party seemed to be acting like they would have more time to do things in Dassen, and I wanted to dissuade them of the notion. However, the second one of them (Gruz, I think) floated the idea of turning themselves in, things very quickly began to change. I ended up stopping the session about 20 minutes early, and was honest with them that this was in no way what I thought would happen, so I needed to take a week to plan some things out. I know that there is info on the dungeons, but I hadn't really read up on them lately. Honestly, even with the curveball ending, the session was great. Everything before meeting with Steppengard was fun as they all tried to guess what was going on in the minds of the proxies, and get information from the Ragesians. The reactions over Discord as Steppengard revealed that Hedrik had been there before, was delicious. They were groaning and everything, but I just talked right over them as he handed down his judgement. Tons of fun. Finally, Orwin's Flaw is a deathly fear of the Inquisitors, so his player decided that Orwin would not turn himself in to the grasp of an Inquisitor. So we'll get a new character in the dungeon! Not sure if he'll stick around or not, but we'll find out! [B]Changes to the Module:[/B] In the book, King Steppengard throws them out because his mind has been poisoned against Seaquen, and he laments that no one else knows his sorrow. I changed that to make him a little more sympathetic, as well as pay the players back for getting one over on me earlier in the campaign. One fun tidbit: during the mid-session break, I came back to them talking about the captain, and joking that he would be at the court. I had thought about doing that, but couldn't think of a way to do it without it deflating the seriousness of the situation. So, Steppengard got to tell a beautiful but sad story about his wife. I'm afraid I made him a little too sympathetic. I changed Glibglammer to Glemmer to give her less of a tricksy name, but I feel like it actually meant people paid less attention to her. Maybe she'll come visit the dungeon to gloat. Next session, it's Prison Time! [/QUOTE]
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