We awake (and have breakfast)
- We awake to the smell of food (bacon)!
- Cal wakes up on the floor outside of Kaya’s door 💀
- He can’t figure out whose door is whose, so he starts BANGING on EVERY SINGLE DOOR BEING LIKE “THEY MADE BACON FOR BREAKFAST”
- Cordelia opens her door, robe and curlers still in her hair
- Kaya opens her door, PJs still on, knife in hand
- Cal does an exaggerated bow, calling Kaya “m’lady” and telling her that bacon has been made downstairs
- Cordelia deadass closes the door and goes back to bed 💀💀💀
- Her rn:
- Her rn:
- Quén is still in bed, eyes barely cracked open (they’re so tired)
- Cal wakes up on the floor outside of Kaya’s door 💀
- Cal and Kaya head downstairs!
- They see a table with an entire breakfast spread, with Aratish having just sat down. She looks very put-together
- Aratish greets them good morning!
- Cal JUMPS on a table and does a VERY LOUD DRAMATIC ANNOUNCEMENT that Kaya “her royal majesty” has entered the room
- Aratish uses some magic to tilt the table, and Cal manages to flip off
- The moment Cal’s feet hit the ground, Kaya attempts to sink him into the ground
- Cal’s feet sink into the ground, and now he’s rooted in place facing the wall (away from the food)
- Aratish uses some magic to tilt the table, and Cal manages to flip off
- Around this time, Cordelia makes her way downstairs
- She reaches behind Cal, hands him his plate, and sits down
- Quén is already sitting at the table, watching everything
- Cal is eventually released so he can eat with everyone
- Aratish is looking at him like 🤨
- It’s very quiet at the table — eventually all the soldiers seated with us finish their food and depart, leaving just the party + Aratish
- ARATISH THREATENS CAL AND TELLS HIM THAT SHE’LL CUT HIS TONGUE OUT IF HE SPEAKS OUT OF TURN AGAIN
- HE FLIRTS WITH HER AND SAYS TO NOT THREATEN HIM WITH A GOOD TIME
- In response, she fuses his metal plate with his bacon
Recapping with Aratish
- Aratish asks how we slept
- Quén informs her about The Curator, the existence of the Cube (she didn’t know about it beforehand), the fact that The Father is in Langston, looking for the shape fragment that is nearby
- Aratish tells us that we’re going to a MASQUERADE GALA!!!
- The guards at the entrance will pat us down and ask for a “donation” (7k gold)
- Aratish will provide the gold in a bag of holding, and asks that we don’t spend any of it (Kaya will hold the gold)
- We won’t be able to bring ANYTHING into the gala — weapons, Cordelia’s cards, nothing
- We will meet with Aratish’s female tailor in about an hour
- We recap what we need to do:
- Cordelia’s cards can be held in Cal’s ring (she’s hesitant to part with it,)
- We need to ask Aratish for details on the gala
- Quén uses the Sending Phone on Vallen, letting him know that we’re going to be at the Gala
- Vallen: I’ll see you there
- Quén: Cordelia is very excited to see you.
- Vallen: I’m excited to see you all again. I need to go non-contact.
- We all go back to our rooms to chill and get ready before we get fitted!
- On the way upstairs, we pass by Julian, who looks EXTREMELY hungover
- Cal shoulder-checks him on the way up
- Kaya tells him that bacon was made for breakfast (but it’s all gone)
- Quén tells him to wake up earlier next time
- Cordelia says nothing. Fuck this bitch (Julian)
Getting Fitted
- We walk into the fitting room — Aratish is already there, sitting and leaning back in her chair
- There’s a drow woman standing nearby, holding up various pieces of cloth
- Aratish greets us (Quén does a little bow)
- She asks Kaya what color she would prefer (deep green!)
- Kaya will be fitted first, and
CalKevin will be last (Aratish calls Cal “Kevin”)- Julian is called in via Sending Phone, but does not respond
- The tailor starts measuring Kaya
- Quén mouths to Kaya to ask the tailor for her name
- The tailor’s name is Lorara!
- LORARA AND KAYA ARE FLIRTINGGGGG 😳
- Right as Cal is about to get fitted, Julian walks in
- Cal is meant to go last, so Lorara switches to measure him instead
- We’ll be wearing masks!
- Cal passes over a folded piece of paper to Lorara, who looks at it and says that she might have something “like that” lying around
- THE POINT OF THIS GALA:
- These galas are typically to celebrate the false king’s accomplishments (boost the false king’s ego)
- This is an emergency gala because so many Eldorians have appeared in Solmara as of late
- OTHER RELEVANT INFO:
- The “new recruit” (Vallen) will meet us at the Gala!
- OUR GOALS:
- Speak to people and gather as much information as possible
- If we can, spy on the meeting that Vallen will be a part of
- DO NOT let anyone know our true identities or that we’re from Eldoria
- Vallen is posting as a politician named “Elliot Ravenwolf”
- Quén mentions that there’s probably a reason why Vallen didn’t choose a surname “the last time”
- OUR GOALS:
- A barber comes in and does our hair!!
- Everyone gets a haircut except for Quén ✂️✂️✂️
- As we wrap up our haircuts, Lorora walks back in the room, holding our outfits!!
- WE GET CHANGED!! (Fits can be found in Discord — Izzie can’t be arsed to copy/paste all 50 images here unless someone wants him to 😭)
Preparing for the Gala
Traveling
- A few hours pass as we get ready for the Gala!
- Some of our outfits have magical flares :]
- Cal: The black of his suite seems to have moving shadows
- Quén: Their entire form is indistinct — homie’s a shape :]
- Cordelia: All her star-themed accessories and adornments sparkle
- Kaya: The dress itself sways even when she’s standing still
- Aratish knocks on our doors
- She has our letter/donation money (given to Kaya)
- She also gives us a pass for the high-speed cart
- It’s technically not a cart, but that’s the closest terminology that we’d be able to understand
- It arrives fairly soon
- We go outside!
- Alexios is waiting for us outside. He’s dressed up, but not fancy enough to attend the gala
- He tells us that he’ll take us to the gala!
- He opens a carriage door, and tells us that it’s only a ten minute ride before we board “the cart”
- While Alexios drives us,
CalKevin asks for Cordelia’s cards (to hide in his ring)- She asks him to PLEASE be very careful with them
- Alexios drops us off somewhere
- It’s BUSTLING (kinda like NYC)
- He tells us to go upstairs and wait for the buzzer
- WE’RE AT A TRAIN STATION!!!
- Very solarpunk vibes!!
- We board the train :D
- SIDE NOTE: As we go deeper into the city, we see a lot more green
- Vines and leaves everywhere, but also with cool steampunk elements
- There’s a table reserved for us on the train!
- As we get seated, we see multiple people who are ALSO dressed to the nines for the party
- Quén looks around, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be following us, watching us, or acting otherwise suspicious
- NAT 20 PERCEPTION: nobody suspicious or following us!
- Nobody’s avoiding us by any means — people seem to think that we’re normal
- They hear hushed whispers, specifically two people conversing about how there’s so many new people randomly and random things occurring
- “Have you seen in the paper about the random appearances of new people, people not knowing who they are?”
- Kaya mentions that we should probably know each others’ fake names, since we’re ambassadors from the same kingdom (elven?)
- Cal: Michael Toris (sounds like “my clitoris” ☹️)
- Quén: Basil Xotli
- Using the same surname as their family
- Kaya: Vedalia Avarice
- Using the same surname as her adopted family
- Cordelia: Melaina Holloway
- Julian: Wallace Floorman
- Quén advises him to look around and take inspiration from the room
- Julian initially tries to call himself “Britney Spears” after seeing a spear on the wall
- Quén suggests that he go by “Wallace” (after looking at a wall) and Julian’s like “Floorman!”
Entering the Venue
- There are a MASSIVE set of stairs - surrounded by lights - that people are ascending
- A massive man in a tight suit approaches us and says “Invitation. Donations.”
- Kaya hands over the invitation and the bag of holding filled with money (he’s originally like 🤨, but when he opens it and pours out the coins - upon Kaya’s suggestion - he realizes that it holds enough money)
- The guard questions us on where we’re from (Elven Kingdom, specifically Silvanour) and comments on the formality of the invitation we have (apparently they haven’t used this style of invitation in a while)
- We’re allowed inside!
- As we walk inside, sunlight - as it is now dusk - bounces off of the gilded edges of the room
- The room we’re now in has two bars on either side of the room, with a sunken area in the middle for dancing
- People aren’t really dancing yet - mostly socializing - but there’s music
- The room is filled with all sorts of people of all sorts of races
- The light sources in this room aren’t torches, but they’re glowing stones
- They look eerily similar to the stone in Kaya’s pocket (from the Underdark)
- The room we’re now in has two bars on either side of the room, with a sunken area in the middle for dancing
- The vibe is similar to Dagen’s mansion, but less fire/brimstone/vampires (and a lot more regal)
- As we enter, Kaya gets a weird sense of deja vu
- She knows that she’s been here before, but she has no memory of it
- A gentleman passes by with drinks
- We all get drinks!
- We agree that we should probably split up
The Gala Begins
- Cal sweeps Cordelia into a small dance, and as their hands press together she feels her cards manifest between them
- After their dance ends, an individual makes his way to the dance floor and approaches Cordelia
- HE TAKES HER HAND AND STARTS DANCING WITH HER. SHE’S TAKEN ABACK!!!
- HE COMMENTS ON HOW SHE’S EASY TO SPOT. SHE RECOGNIZES HIM IMMEDIATELY!!!
- Cordelia grabs his arm, and whispers “Vallen”
- He shushes her and reminds her that his name is currently “Elliott”
- Vallen asks if everyone else is here (yes) and asks if we’re all alright (yes)
- He can’t stay for long — he has a meeting later2
- He will meet us at the King’s Hand after the gala
- Cordelia says that we were told that we should try and eavesdrop on his conversation (he assumes that Quén will want to Scry on him)
- He advises us to watch, observe, and have fun
- Cordelia comments on his haircut
- Cordelia: I like your haircut :)
- Vallen: Thanks. I do not. It’s very formal… I miss when it was longer. And black.
- VALLEN APPROACHES QUÉN
- They feel a tap on their shoulder, and they see Vallen (with his new appearance) when they turn around
- They shake his hand, stuttering and saying that they don’t think they’ve met before. They introduce themselves.
- Vallen says that he hopes they and their friends will be going for drinks after the gala. They say they will, and that they hope he will join them
The Announcement
- There’s a tapping on a glass — conversation dies down, but some music continues
- A man who looks EXACTLY like Kaya’s father appears, flanked by a strong-looking man and a dark-haired woman wearing a crow mask
- “Salvir Solmara”, AKA the False King:
- Mysterious Guard:
- Mysterious Woman:
- NOTE: ALL THE FOLLOWING ARE EXERPTS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM CJ’S NOTES
THE KING'S SPEECH
“My loyal subjects, I am here to address you all and say… welcome!” He looks around the crowd and eyes most of them “I’m sure you all have heard the rumors of people from all walks of life magically appearing in our streets… and I’m here to tell you.. this is true…” “Do not be afraid! These new citizens are being processed in an orderly fashion as our kingdom is one of acceptance and unity. After all we ALL are from different backgrounds and cultures, it would be an honest shame to turn these new faces away regardless of where they are from!” “Many of you have concerns about the words they speak and the place they come from. Well let me be the one to finally give you a straight answer, they ARE from Eldoria…” The crowd breaks into murmurs and gasps. “Calm down calm down, as you know our first priority is to save these people and to bring them into our refined society, we do properly vet them and help them assimilate into our society… there have been a few instances where they cannot be assimilated in the proper from and those who cannot abide by our laws are thrust back into the wilderness so they may return as a proper individual.” The murmurs turn into agreeableness. “We have a very special guest here today, one who has pledged his allegiance to myself and the city! He hails from the town of Sandbank! And he is here to help with our new Elodrian visitors! Let me introduce, Erin Thorne!”
- When the False King mentions that the “mysterious people” are from Eldoria, Cal and Quén look around the room: checking for anyone who might be unsurprised by the “Eldorian” announcement
- They see a few people who aren’t particularly surprised, and take note
KING'S SPEECH CNTD.
The crowd applauds. “And let me put your minds to rest… we are still actively looking for the crown, which was stolen from us many moons ago. And when we find the crown, all will Eldorians will finally be rid of their violent nature!” The crowd cheers. “Please, there is food and music and many people here to converse and celebrate with. Help yourselves as I meet with my esteemed VIP guests for donations to the fund of our campaign to find the crown! Be merry! Be blessed! And most of all, be Solmarians!”
The Gala Continues
- Cordelia looks around for Cal, and spots him moving towards the front of the crowd — quickly
- Cordelia grabs his shoulder, dragged along as she tries to convince him to calm down (futile)
- Quén sees Cal from a distance and casts Calm Emotions on him. Cal manages to fail (THANK GOD)
- Vallen approaches at the same moment that his hostility dissipates, putting a hand on Cal’s chest and introducing himself. He guides Cal over to the bar to get a drink
- While Cal and Vallen talk, Cordelia thanks Quén for their quick thinking
- They remind her that the spell only lasts for a minute
- They all agree that we want Cal to get his revenge, but we need more information
- Vallen speaks to Cal
- He advises Cal to not cause a scene
- Cal says that he just wants to “talk” to Erin Thorne (“Threats are talk!“)
- Vallen tells him that he can’t stay for too long, because he’s expected to attend the same meeting that Erin Thorne and the False King will be at
- Vallen says that Quén is welcome to Scry on him
- He tells Cal that he will meet us at the King’s Hand later
- Vallen gives Cal a sending stone, and advises him to give it to Quén, Cordelia, or Kaya
- It looks like a regular sending stone, except it’s made of crystal and slightly elongated (with a long bit sticking out like an antennae)
- Vallen: “Please be careful. Please.”
- Quén listens in on the conversations around them to try and gather more information
- Kaya suggests that we find a private spot for Quén to cast Scrying
- Cal successfully distracts a guard while the rest of the party shuffles into a private area (THE WOMEN’S BATHROOM)
- Cal speaks with the guard, who introduces himself as Michael Torse. So Cal is forced to introduce himself as Mike Hunt
- We all roll for stealth
- Kaya rolls an 11, but Quén does something that allows her to add a 6 to her roll
- As Cal walks away from the guard, he overhears a conversation:
- ‘“Maybe now that we have Erin Thorne helping us with the Eldorians, he might be able to help us with the automatons on Braldurak”
- “Yes, I heard they took over an entire island.”
- Cal goes to the bar!
- While there, he speaks to a man who tells him of a false Eldorian faction known as The Bloodhunters are causing a lot of trouble both in and out of the city (kidnappings, specifically)
- Cal, messaging Quén: “I have information, we should meet soon. Pass it on to everyone else.”
In the Women’s Bathroom
- Cordelia tells Quén to do their thing, and goes to fix her lipstick
- Quén asks if anyone knows when the meeting is going to start — we have no idea :(
- A drunk lady informs us that the meeting will start in just a few minutes
- Quén excuses themself to a stall to cast Scrying — Kaya follows
- RETCON: Quén was able to pass on the silver mirror to Cal and get it back from him after we pass through the checkpoint
Scrying on Vallen
- NOTE: Quén passes on what they see to the rest of the party, but only they see what follows.
- They see the king and the two mysterious individuals that appeared with them. The False King sits at the end of a long table, surrounded by people.
- Erin Thorne stands behind the False King, his arms crossed.
- The table is packed with people
- The False King thanks everyone for their donations, and says that it’s time to go over their findings for the week. He asks for information regarding the whereabouts of the crown or The Father
- He says that anyone who shares information will be handsomely rewarded. No-one says a word.
- He says that - in this kingdom - they don’t tolerate “such insolence” time and time
- “Siren, do it.”
- The mysterious woman casts a spell — it looks VERY familiar: it’s Zone of Truth
- Unlike the version of the spell that Quén is familiar with, this spell seems to glitch as it moves - it makes the lights dim, and there are flickers of red energy across the room - and it encompasses the entire room.
- “Now, everyone speak where you came from. In order, please.”
- It goes down the line, until the line reaches Vallen. Quén can feel Vallen’s heart POUNDING
- VALLEN MANAGES TO LIE AGAINST THE ZONE OF TRUTH!!!
- The man next to Vallen says: ““Sean Weitzman, informant for The Blood Hunters, loyal to their cause, and here to kill the False King after collecting information”.
- The False King calls for “Thraxxus”
- The tall guard pulls the man’s chair - effortlessly - towards the king
- The False King is PISSED. He mentions that the man has family in the city, and tells him that he dishonors them.
- Thraxxus reaches over, grabs the man’s head, and squeezes it, and the man’s head implodes between his fingers. His body falls to the ground, both headless and lifeless.
- The king advises everyone in the room to have better information next time, otherwise they will end up like “him” (gesturing to the body on the ground)
- “Siren, Thraxxus, we must meet with the Doctor. Thorne, tell me more about those… ‘Seekers’ you mentioned.”