Quartz 4

Session 09

18 min read

← Session 8 Session 10 →

Moving Towards Holden

  • On the road again!! WE HAVE TO DROP OFF THE CHILD
    • Vallen offers to bring the child to NorthPass by himself
    • He can probably make it to NorthPass and back within a couple hours (by the time we get to the gates of Holden)
    • Vallen takes off and it looks like that scene from Twilight 💀
  • We continue towards Holden!
    • Camille’s like “we should come up with a plan!!”
    • THE TASK AT HAND:
      • Infiltrate the banquet (we have invitations!!) (The invitations are listed under “Clover Ambassadors”)
      • Gather as much information as possible
      • If we run into Dagen… KILL DAGEN!!!!!! 😤👊💥
        • Also Dagen’s a baron
    • NOTE: there are several mental concerns in Cordelia
  • Cal suggests we wear our masks the entire time we’re in Holden
    • Camille counteroffers that we wear big cloaks with hoods, and Cal suggests that he waits outside the city while we go buy those
    • Cordelia 👁️👁️ LOOKS at Cal and is like.. is he trying to avoid the military? (yeah he is) (bro has people searching for him)
    • Camille lends their cloak to Cal
  • Cordelia thinks about how many people are in Holden, and how many people might recognize her
    • ALL of us realize that we should probably hide our faces while in Holden 😭😭 god damn
  • Vallen comes back!!
    • We had a whole conversation abt just wearing our masks straight to the ball BUT IT’S OK BCS WE HAVE A WHOLE DAY UNTIL THE MASQUERADE!! IT’S LITERALLY TMRW WE’RE FINEEE
  • PLANNING
    • Cal asks Camille if they have money (yes)
    • He says we can visit the whorehouse + the homeless + (one other group I forgor)
    • His logic is that we can search for information with the people and do some reconnaissance tn!!

WHO UP HOLDING THEY EN (HOLDEN)

  • As we approach Holden, the road gets darker as the trees shadow the path

  • Everyone puts their masks on as we approach the gate!! (Camille also puts their cloak on)

  • There’s a young man at the gate (mid to late 20s) — standard human holding a spear

    • As he taps the window of the carriage, Cordelia grabs the invitation from Vallen and passes it onto the city guard
    • Apparently there are a few other Clover Ambassadors already in the city, we’ll be staying with/near them

  • Cordelia realizes that she can use a fake name for stuff and she’s 🤯🤯🤯

  • To the left of the gate, people park their carriages (where they disembark and enter the city)

    • It’s literally a parking lot
    • As we pull up to the parking lot, a valet comes up and says he can take our carriage (and that we can take our stuff)
    • We can get a ticket/pink slip for our carriage (Camille does! and tosses the valet a gold coin)

Arriving at the Inn

  • The inn’s sign has a whitish reddish horse on it
    • IZZIE KNOWS ABOUT TH EPINK YPONY CLUB
    • EVEYRONE SHUTS UP. I KNOW ABUT THE PINK PONY CLUB SONG IT’S GONNA HAPPEN TRUST AND BELIVE!!!!
  • It’s PACKED in here!! Tons of people sitting around chatting and drinking — everyone is wearing their masks
  • We walk up to the counter. There is an elven barmaid behind the bar — she looks busy, drained, in a sense (Corinthia whispers “I love that”.. GAY ASS!!)
    • Everyone orders alcohol, Camille orders water 💀
    • Our room is on the second floor (corner room) BUT WE ONLY HAVE ONE ROOM!!
  • It is now later in the night
    • Everyone rolls perception (we suck ASS!!)
    • We notice some stuff about Cal:
      • As soon as we entered the city, he’s been rigid (as if he has the proper mannerisms and etiquette of Cordelia’s like)
      • He’s on-edge, compared to his usual demeanor
      • He keeps looking around Holden and shaking his head
  • We get to the room!!
    • It’s like a main room with four offshoot rooms (one for each)
  • What are our aliases!
    • Cal: Jack Mehoff (LIKE JACK ME OFF)
    • Cordelia: Mariella Wright
    • Kaya: Andraea Applebottom
    • Camille: Quén Aiano
    • Vallen: Elliott (NO LAST NAME BCS HE’S LAME)
  • CORDELIA HAS A WHOLE-ASS BACKSTORY FOR HER NAME!!! I’M EATING THIS SHIT UP 🗣️📢‼️
  • Camille offers to do Vallen’s hair!! They used to do their brother’s :]
  • Vallen suggests that we should sleep while he does reconnaissance
    • Cal says he can join him! Vallen’s DOWN for that
    • Camille casts Gift of Alacrity on both of them
    • They plan on going to the whorehouse first
      • THERE’S A WHOLE THING ABT CORDELIA WANTING TO GO TOO BUT SHE DECIDES TO STAY HOME!! Camille says they fear she won’t fit in there, and she literally only stays bcs Camille forces themself to say whore :(
  • Vallen and Cal are out for a WHILE. It’s super late before they get back
    • Kaya and Camille are still up
    • Kaya and Cal pass out ASAP, Camille says they’re going to stay up a bit longer and just pace around

Camille talks to Vallen and FUMBLES THE FUCKING BAG!!!

  • Asks about his necklace (he knows it’s from Lathander)
  • He got it from his father!! Who died 215 years ago
    • It’s chill his father’s cool we like him
    • CAMILLE INSIGHT: 19
      • HE’S LYING!!! ABOUT his dad
      • omg his dad didn’t die 215 years ago…. he died 300 years ago
      • Camille assumes that Vallen killed his dad :( and apologizes for pressing
      • Vallen ends the conversation
  • Camille lays awake in bed that night thinking about how they fucked up 😭
  • LILY DREW CAMILLE

We Dreaming :(

  • We spawn in the nice chill field that the Orb/Curator was at last time (Lily calls it the “ponder fields”)
    • The ruined church is still down the road from there
    • Lily puts on a masquerade mask so Cordelia spawns one in too
  • Everyone walks to the church!! We knock on the door — it swings open, and the building looks somewhat empty on the inside. It feels like someone’s been there recently
  • Kaya blinks, and the Curator is standing with his back to us, holding a book (we all turn and see him too)
    • He turns around - still looking at his book - and says that he’s glad we’re here
    • WE’RE SUPER CLOSE TO ONE OF THE SHAPES: THE PYRAMID
  • The curator asks what we’re doing in Holden: we’re looking for vampires and their leader
  • The Curator says the Pyramid’s presence is in Holden
    • How can we protect ourselves from the Pyramid: avoid physical contact with it — if ABSOLUTELY necessary, wear gloves or gauntlets
    • If we find the Pyramid, don’t touch it. ALSO don’t let anyone else have it!!!
  • According to the book the Curator holds, we’re close to someone who has touched/been near the Pyramid — that effect usually wears off after a year or so, but it’s powerful enough that the pyramid is either physically nearby, OR whoever touched it touched it recently
  • Kaya asks if the book tells the future: it’s kinda complicated to explain

Morning of the Masquerade

  • We all wake up!!
  • Kaya and Cordelia tell Vallen about the dream (it was a good one this time!!) (they’re also being mean to him 😭)
  • Vallen offers to get the menu for room service (Camille says no and goes to get it instead), Cordelia also goes downstairs
  • Downstairs: everyone is still wearing their masks
  • Cordelia looks around for other “Ambassadors”
    • NEW RULE: The player must tell Camille that they’re doing something before they make a roll for Guidance to apply
    • She sees a table with three people sporting Clover symbols (two older gentlemen and a younger man)
      • Cordelia recognizes them as Clover Ambassadors that are SPECIFICALLY from Clover — she doesn’t recognize their faces
      • One of the ambassadors (older gentleman) is a higher ranking noble (brunette)
      • The younger man is also a noble (blonde, doesn’t super look like he wants to be there)
      • The other gentleman seems to be a friend of the first noble (brunette)
  • IT’S THE SAME BARMAID AS LAST NIGHT!!! BRUH GIRLIE IS SO OVERWORKED
    • Camille gets some menus!! The tavern’s logo is in the top corner: The Pink Pony Inn
    • Camille and Cordelia each slide her 5 gold for her troubles 😭
  • CORDELIA AND VALLEN ARGUE!! WE HAVEN’T TOLD VALLEN ABOUT THE SHAPES.. WHOOPS
  • Camille theorizes that - because Cal had the Pyramid in his eyes when he approached the dungeon door - maybe he’s wanted because some kind of experiment is being done on who can touch the Pyramid and who can’t
    • WE DISCOVER THAT WE HAVEN’T TOLD VALLEN THAT CAL’S SEEN THE PYRAMID EITHER. WHOOPS!!
  • Cordelia wants to get to know the party LMAO WE BARELY KNOW EACH OTHER!!
  • Vallen goes through the party:
    • Camille is a cleric, but doesn’t know what god they serve
    • Cordelia is a student of Tarot, but claims it’s more of a hobby — when asked what school of magic she studies, she changes the subject
      • SIDE NOTE: Vallen has files on the people from the Capital (Cordelia and Kaya)
      • Vallen needs to know as much as he can about us so he can work with us
  • Cal says that he’s going to stay in Holden even if we all split off/do our own thing — Holden looks worse than he imagined (the stories said differently) and he has work to do here to make the place better
  • What Cal and Vallen found:
    • There’s a basement in the party (our visions were right!)
    • Lots of troop activity in the area
  • Plans for preparing for the party:
    • Acquire gauntlets to pick up the Pyramid so if we find it, we can pick it up and steal it
    • Acquire a crate of sorts to put the Pyramid in (LEAD BOX IDEALLY)
    • Hide our bags of holding:
      • Vallen: has Camille and Kaya’s bags
      • Cal: Cordelia’s bag
    • LILY STARTS BODY SHAMING VALLEN :(( GIRL THAT’S NOT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP
  • Vallen says he’s going to get the gauntlets, Camille offers to come with so they can get the lead box (THE ENTIRE PARTY’S GOING WAHOO!!)

WE OUT ON THE TOWN

  • It’s SO hustlin and bustlin out here (as we leave the Pink Pony Inn)

Blacksmith’s

  • We find the Blacksmith’s!!

    • It’s empty as FUCK in here — run by a taller tiefling woman with deep red skin
    • EVEYRONE’S ROLLING TO STICK THEIR DICKS IN HER!!! EVERYONE CALM THE FUCK DOWN

  • The lady asks why we’re looking for gauntlets and a lead box. WE’RE SO COOKED!!

    • It’s ok tho bcs Cordelia says “we’re dealing with badgers”
    • We end up asking for some premade gauntlets

  • We find out that “shadow boxes” are a pretty popular fashion statement nowadays!!

    • most people who wear them usually come from the capital though
    • The blacksmith’s made a few — she can repair one for 10 GP and make one for 50 GP

  • The blacksmith will be closing early, even though she’s not going to the blacksmith

Misc. Shopping

  • GROUPS FOR THE NIGHT:
    • Kaya goes with Cal
    • Cordelia and Camille go with Vallen
  • The gang goes for a tea break (Camille is still shopping)
  • IZZIE HAD TO PISS SO IMISSED STUFf
  • Camille manages to buy:
    • Gold rings x2 (50 GP each)
    • specially marked sticks, bones, or similar tokens worth at least 25 GP
    • Sending Stones (x2), 20 GP each

Getting Ready for the Masquerade

  • Cordelia rolls a Nat 1 to spy on Vallen LIKE A FREAK!!! LIKE A PERVERT!!!
    • THE DOOR CREAKS OPEN AND SHE FALLS ONT EH DAMN FLOOR
    • GIRL!!!!!!!!! 😭💀🌏💥💥💥
  • Camille ritual casts Augury
    • They feel a divine message come to them — their eyes glow white and their head snaps upward
    • They receive a vision. It depicts most of what we saw in a previous dream - the party, the castle, and the lab specifically - and they feel the presence of a person. His presence brings dread
    • They also feel a sense of triumphantness, and then a BIGGER sense of dream
  • Camille passes on what they learned from the vision to Vallen, then helps him do his hair :]
  • We also have clover insignias on our fits!!

The Masquerade Begins

  • We hand in our invitations — an older gentleman at the door takes it, acknowledges us as Clover Ambassadors, and tucks the paper away
  • WE WALK INTO THE PARTY! YIPEE!! 💃🕺🎶🎭🎵
    • We are greeted by magical paintings, musicians playing in the background, and “showcases” (we have to walk closer to see what their deal is)
  • We split into groups — Camille splits off from Cordelia and Vallen to tag along with Kaya and Cal, since he’s worried about them
    • People come up to us and compliment our outfits individually!! yipee!!!
    • When someone finds out that Camille is from Clover, they’re like “aren’t we all 😏” like, sarcastically
  • Cal wants to scope out exit points and Kaya wants to look for the basement
  • There are two grand staircases which meet in the middle, we can tell that Dagen is going to appear there at some point
    • There are two guards at each entrance to the staircase
  • The showcases are of inventions!
    • The inventions seem to be color-coded (red, blue, green, and black maybe?)
  • Cordelia suggests that she and Vallen ask around if Dagen’s already introduced himself
    • I forgor if Vallen agrees but he also suggests that they check out the exhibits to seem like regular guests
  • Cordelia and Vallen approach an invention associated with the Water Faction
    • It’s called a “Tidesmith” — it can put out any fire. An extinguisher, if you will
    • The inventor is Marielle Wellwater (from the Capital)
    • If someone wants to donate to fund the invention, they can drop gold coins into a bucket
  • The invention from the Fire Faction
    • IT’S LITERALLY AUFKCING GUN 💥🔫
    • Cordelia only knows of handguns and long rifles — this one is a short-ish rifle
    • The presenter is a short dwarven man with an uneven beard, named Magnus Pyrick
    • The gun is called “Red Engineer”, because it engineers death — a weapon of mass destruction. It can fire multiple rounds at a time
    • He advises that she look up his name if she wants to invest in his project
  • The invention from the Earth Faction
    • A stone-faced tiefling shows something called the “Mountain’s Maw”. It looks like a two-handed drill
    • HE DIDN’T GIVE HIS NAME 💀💀💀 HIS ASS DOES NAWT WANT TO BE HERE

Dagen Appears

  • Someone appears at the top of the stairs. nvm it’s TWO PEOPLE!!! AND ONE OF THEM’S A WOMAN!!!!

  • Cordelia and Cal and Kaya try to determine if they recognize Dagen

    • THEY CAN TELL IT’S THE BARON AND HIS WIFE

  • The baron encourages everyone to have fun, and reminds us that the invention that impresses him the most will be invited to a special banquet with him, where he will provide them special funding. Also he and his wife will be making the rounds

  • A BARD GETS ON STAGE AND STARTS SINGING PINK PONY INN!!!!!! THE PROPHECY IS FULFILLED

Cordelia Encounters a Familiar Man

  • Cordelia is told by a passing waiter that someone’s been eying her this whole night 👀OMG???

    • HE TELLS HER SHE’S THE MOST RADIANT WOMAN HE’S SEEN TONIGHT. THE COUPLE IS FLIRTING!!! YIPEE!!!!
    • He also says she doesn’t look like she wants to be here — OMG IT’S THE GUY FROM THE INN. THE OLDER GUY WAS HIS DAD
    • Dude’s originally from the Capital. He’s called Julian I think??? idk Izzie is FREAKING!!

  • HE’S RUNNING AWAY FROM A WEDDING!!!!!! HIS OWN WEDDING!!!!!! THAT HIS DAD ORGANIZED!! CORDELIA IS FREAKING

    • MY THEORIDS
    • THE PROPHECY. ITHE PROPHECY
    • THAT’S LITERALLY THE GUY CORDELIA WAS ENGAGED TO. OH MY GOD I’M CALLING IT I’M CALLING IT RIGHT NOW I’M SO 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

  • Cordelia accepts an offer to dance IT’S HAPPENINGGGGG

  • To the side: Vallen comes back with food (that Cordelia asked him to get 💀)

    • We ALL see Cordelia dancing with the blonde stranger and we’re like??????
    • We agree to all start dancing to blend in and get closer just to see what the deal is 👁️👁️
    • Kaya and Cal pair up (Cal is stomping to try and test for hollow spots on the floor) (y’know, checking for the basement)
    • Camille and Vallen pair up

  • Cordelia catches up with her FINANCEEEEE

    • SHE STARTS SLOWLY REVEALING THAT SHE KNOWS DETAILS SHE PROBABLY SHOULDN’T IF SHE WASN’T RELATED TO THE SITUATION
    • HE’S LIKE. I DON’T WANT TO MARRY SOMEONE I BARELY KNOW AND PUT ALL THAT ON HER. CORDELIA’S LIKE. OMG SHE’S LIKE.. SUPER STUDIOUS PROBABLY (AFTER HEARING HIS POTENTIAL FIANCEE GOES TO THE CAPITAL UNIVERSITY)

  • CAL MANAGES TO STEAL CORDELIA AWAY ONCE HE AND KAYA SEE HER FREAKING OUT

    • Julian does NOT know what the fuck happened
    • Camille and Vallen are dancing up a STORM (Vallen got a NAT 20 and Camille got a 21) and check in as they swing by

  • Perception checks for the group!!

    • EVERYONE sees that the waiter from earlier - who would normally go take more champagne - dips through a door looking SUSPICIOUS
      • We all follow — Cordelia is more reluctant than others, and steals one last glance at Julian before she does
      • We decide to slip in one by one. Vallen chooses to go first, and poofs away using his ✨misty vampire powers✨
      • We all manage to sneak in!!
      • The gentleman we saw was knocked out by Vallen! We hide his unconscious body behind a tapestry

  • WE SEE STAIRS LEADING TO THE BASEMENT

    • VALLEN AND CORDELIA ARGUE A LITTLE. INSIGHT CHECKS REVEAL THAT HE’S A LITTLE JEALOUS OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH CORDELIA. GIRLIE STAYS WINNING!
    • VALLEN HEARD THE WHOLE CONVERSATION OMG. HIS HEARING IS REALLY GOOD
    • Anyways Kaya and Camille start putting the pieces together that something ain’t right here 🤔🤔🤔

Entering the Basement

  • We see an old man (thank god he’s not hot) (at least not to us 💀)

  • The man stands in front of a long table. His leg is chained to the (very tall) ceiling, using a system which allows him to move freely around the lab but not much farther

    • CAL RECOGNIZES HIM AS CADUCEUS POPE (DR. POPE), a man he’s worked with before
    • We all notice that there are other people walking around — but they don’t look like people, necessarily
      • They’re carrying tons of logs (at least what it looks like from a distance). With Cal’s Nat 20, he realizes those are the arms and legs of armor

  • Before Dr. Pope realizes we’ve come in, Cal activates his shadow box

    • The Creatures vaguely turn and acknowledge us, but they’re too deep in their work to realize
    • Camille quickly passes Cordelia a Sending Stone

  • Cal calls out to Dr. Pope

    • APPARENTLY HE’S MADE LEAPS AND STRIDES IN HIS RESEARCH WHEN CAL BROUGHT HIM THE PYRAMID
    • Camille rn:

  • Cal sees piles of shadow boxes, and everyone sees PLANS TO BLOCK OUT THE SUN PERPETUALLY

    • Dr. Pope’s latest contraption looks like a humanoid machine (warforged)
      • The warforged are made for the Diamond Army to win against Clover

  • We introduce ourselves with our fake names

  • Dr. Pope says that the Pyramid has:

    • Told him how to end the war
    • Shown him the future (a future of peace)
    • Burned plans into his mind

  • Dr. Pope needs to escape and get back to his lab in Diamond, and requests our aid in escaping

    • It looks like he hasn’t slept in days and smells like piss
    • The manacle around his leg has worn through his pant leg, and has begun to rub against his skin
    • It looks like he’s been working on everything for weeks on end

  • “If the vampires rule, then what is supposed to happen will not”

    • When Kaya tries to ask for clarification on the prophecy, Dr. Pope asks if she means the Pyramid’s prophecy or the Orb’s prophecy
    • IN THE PYRAMID’S VERSION OF THE WORLD, THERE IS NO MORE LIFE!! IT PLANS TO PURGE THE WORLD

  • Cordelia tries to convince Dr. Pope that she believes in his vision of the Pyramid, but he realizes she’s lying

    • He offers for us to take him to the Capital as a prisoner, so the Keeper can read his mind and see the “truth”

  • Dr. Pope’s irises are red, and his pupils are TRIANGLES

    • He is “cray cray”

  • Dr. Pope hands Cal a button that will release all the warforged

    • Camille tries to take it, Cal hands it over willingly
    • Cal tries to convince Camille to hand it back over — they say they don’t trust him anymore (even though Cal says he had extenuating circumstances) and throws the button on the ground

  • As the button shatters on the ground, Dagen walks in with an army of 30 vampires

    • “You come into my castle, drink my champagne, dance at my parties, and break my favorite toy” (the toy being Dr. Pope)
    • He turns to the vampires and tells them to kill us

WE’RE FIGHTING FOR OUR LIVES

  • NVM THE BUTTON WAS FAKE AND HE WAS JUST TESTING CAL’S LOYALTY??? HE SAYS THOUGHT CAL WAS ON HIS SIDE
    • DR. POPE PRESSES THE BUTTON AND THE WARFORGED RUSH PAST US AS HE RIPS OFF HIS MANACLES (THEY WEREN’T SUPER ATTACHED THIS WHOLE TIME???)
    • VAMPIRES ARE RUNNING AT US AND THE WARFORGED ARE RUNNING AT THE VAMPIRES
← Session 8 Session 10 →

Graph View

Backlinks