Six players were present:
- Bruno FaceSmasher,
Male Dwarf Barbarian - Ffion Tanwen,
Female Dragonborn Cleric - Mortos,
Male Tiefling Druid - Garrus Ironside,
Male Dwarf Paladin - To’Mas,
Male Human Fighter - Lupin Damakos,
Female Tiefling Rogue + Willow, Cat Animal Companion
The talk turns to Lord Chronos and speculation as to what race he may have been and his rationale behind this war. Lupin admits to seeing a shadowy image of him on a Zoom-bie call and reveals that he claims that he is waging this never ending war in an attempt to prevent world-wide genocide. The other Heroes are shocked, as she further divulges that Chronos offered to send them to the future to see for themselves (see Deadly Persuasion). The rest of The Heroes are dumbstruck. Garrus asks why she didn’t inform them earlier. Lupin declares that he would have learned of it himself if he hadn’t deserted them before these events happened (see Life and Death).
Dimva swears he is telling the truth. The Angry Assassin asserts that he and Solomon signed a contract with a Devil that would forfeit the soul of either signer to Hell if they reneged on the deal. The Heroes verify that they saw the contract when a Devil came to collect Dimva’s soul (see Battling Buddies). Solomon asks To’Mas if he saw the contract. The Armored Avenger admits that he did not, as it occurred after he had left the catacombs. The Powerful Prince proclaims that it is odd that the Devil and contract appeared when the only human in The Heroes’ band happened to leave.
As To’Mas turns toward the Human Coalition, he suddenly freezes. Staring at the Priestess Antigone, he finds himself staring at the spitting image of his mother. The Registrar places her hand on The Silver Soldier’s shoulder and proclaims: “Remember.” To’Mas is instantly transported back to his childhood. He recalls his Mother and Father standing over a basinet, it is the first time he has ever seen them cry. They turn to him, then back to the basinet and at that moment, he sees a tiny pink hand reach out. The flood of forgotten memories staggers him. Antigone reproaches him by stating that she has become accustom to men staring at her, but never before so overtly. The Armored Infantryman apologizes and claims that she reminded him of someone from his past.
Approaching the entryway, they are met by the head of security, the Eladrin Sariel (see Wedding Crashers). The Warrior Woman warns Lupin that she will be keeping her eyes on her. Lupin scoffs and immediately connives to outwit her. Before The Heroes can pass through the doorway, twins statues on either side block the door with their blades. The Ivory Effigies exasperatingly exclaim “Not them again!” (see Wedding Crashers). Before the Pillars of Puns allow The Heroes to enter the ballroom, they must answer a series of puns about Easter.
1: Middle of Week Embers.*
2: Not So Bad End of Week.**
3: 40 Days of Barrowing.***
4: Satan’s Ovaries.****
5: Decorated Ovaries.*****
6: 7 Days of Drilling.******
7: Ice Cream Inside Your Hand.*******
8: Final Dinner.********
9: Overlook.*********
10: Chinese Appetizer.**********
11: Cocoa Rodent.***********
12: Warm Angry Muffins.************
13: Sound Chicks Make.*************
Solving the puns, The Heroes enter the opulent ballroom and see a host of dignitaries from throughout the United. Many are familiar faces they have encountered before, while others are new and known only to a few individuals in the party.
The Angelic Amphibian advises her to be careful of the path she is treading. The Lady Lizard laments that she will do what she must to cure her family and village. Eurig tries to comfort Ffion as their sister walks off with Blackthorn.
The Lady Lord laments that she is certain he will, but she would rather die than return to him. The Powerful Princess proposes that she can accompany Bruno on his missions; they may have to hide her true identity, but at least they can be together. The Beefy Barbarian boldly agrees. Asked if she is hungry, the Cunning Queen concurs that she is and the two Diminutive Dwarfs delve into the buffet table with gusto.
Farnus states that he is on a mission for the King of Rath. Lowering his voice in a hushed tone, the Warry Warrior warns Garrus that if anything happens here tonight, to not get involved. A confused Garrus asks what he means. The Mysterious Midget mentions that there may be some commotion later this evening that he needn’t concern himself with. The Enigmatic Agent excuses himself and vanishes into the crowd.
The Demon Druid denotes that this is not what he meant. Veratu tries to apologize for everything he did in the past, but the Frantic Farmer forbids it. Asking about the murder of his parents and countless other “half-breeds,” the Displeased Devil doubts that anyone will forgive Veratu for those deeds. The Troubled Tiefling tells Mortos that he can’t change the past, but not sees how wrong he was. The Vanquished Villian vows that he will do everything he can to united all Tieflings and forge a new Tiefling nation. The Brooding Brother can’t believe that his Scheming Sister could be in love with the Tiefling responsible for murdering their parents (see The Long Game). The Female Fiend forces him to remember that he taught her to forgive. The Horned Horror howls that this is not what he meant and storms off to the bar to drink.
The Preeminent Pilferer points out six gems encrusted on assorted accouterments of the esteemed ambassadors: Antigone’s Tiara; Stone Silversmith’s Walking Stick; Veratu’s Dagger; Efa’s Pendant; Scarlet’s Ring; and Sapphire’s Crown. The Cunning Criminal claims that each of the gems are rare and valuable in and of themselves, but when combined, they form the legendary Eye of the Phoenix. An ancient artifact that grants the owner eternal life. Promising her a generous percentage of the sale if she can obtain all six of the gems, The Vainglorious Villain then vanishes into the crowd. While the Conniving Crook quickly conspires on how to liberate the gems from their owners.
To’Mas then asks if she trusts the rest of the Human Coalition. Antigone says that the three other regions tend to follow Solomon’s lead. Solomon is the Barbarian King of the North who single handedly forged an empire in the hard scrabbled frozen tundra. The Warry Woman warns him that Solomon can be a powerful ally or enemy. The Doubting Damsel does not trust him, but is following the rest of the Humans in hopes of ending this war. The Sullen Sibling suggest that they may have had something to do with Sterling’s death. Citing Dimva’s claims, the Bothered Brother broaches the subject if she is aware of the contract he signed with Solomon. The Flustered Female finally admits she is unsure, but promises to see if she can uncover anything. The Armored Elder agrees to do the same. As they depart, the Perturbed Princess proclaims that if she had a brother, she would wish that it was a man such as he.
Mortos is totally enthralled and begins flirting with the Chitinous Chick. Sapphire is delighted by this budding romance, giving Lupin a chance to approach without being noticed. Working her way behind Sapphire, Lupin surreptitiously dabs acid around the gem’s setting on her crown.
A startled Bruno looks up to sees if Leonora is alright. However, she is nowhere to be seen. Only her plate of food lays on the ground where she stood. Proclaiming that she would never let good food go to waste, he calls for help. To’Mas inspects the scene and sees a footprint in the overturned food. Bruno, To’Mas and Garrus follow the tracks through a door to the gardens. Mortos mounts Penny and charges after the others, as Lupin picks herself and Sapphire off the floor.
Thoughts on this Session: This is always my favorite type of session: Role Playing, character development, and personal choices. Tension, excitement, political intrigue, and not one dice rolled in combat. Lots of familiar faces as well as new ones. The homework I gave the players over the winter holidays was:
- Your PC is visited by the ghosts of Solstice Past, Present, and Future.
- The Past reveals a loved one from years ago.
- The Present reveals the trouble (either a victim of or causing it) they are in now.
- The Future shows what may happen when you meet them next.
- Create a new charter from your PCs past and let us know what visions you saw.
Lupin was again surprisingly adamant in defending Dimva (someone she never seemed to care too much for before). Her willingness to cause mischief to confound Sariel turned into an entire heist plot when Quinten offered her a job. And what will the other Heroes do about the meeting with Chronos that she revealed? Garrus was also a strong advocate for Dimva, although he had previously had a love/hate relation with him. His arguing with the head of a rival clan was offset by the reunion with both an old friend and an old flame. Ffion was happy to see her sister at first. But seeing the dark path she is heading on, and her relation with Barron Blackthorn gave her cause for concern. The accusations of her failings by Efa also hurt her, but she still managed to remain calm. Mortos endured some major mood swings throughout the night. Seeing his sister married to the man who murdered their parents was just too much for him. Even though he had been advocating for Sotrom to forgive, and that love was the answer, the thought of them together literally made him sick. Flirting with Penny seemed to renew his spirits. To’Mas also experienced some major family revelations. The sight of Antigone unlocked long repressed memories of his younger sister. His playing the Human Coalition to reveal their plans was quite clever. He also showed a more sensitive side when he convinced Antigone that they are indeed siblings. More of Bruno’s past was revealed when we found out the reason he left his kingdom was because of an affair with his Queen. Not realizing that she would forfeit her crown for him, their reunion was rather touching. And they both showed their love of food at the buffet. Bravo to all!!!
* Middle of Week Embers: Ash Wednesday.
** Not So Bad End of Week: Good Friday.
*** 40 Days of Barrowing: Lent.
**** Satan’s Ovaries: Deviled Eggs.
***** Decorated Ovaries: Easter/Colored Eggs.
****** 7 Days of Drilling: Holy Week.
******* Ice Cream Inside Your Hand: Palm Sunday.
******** Final Dinner: Last Supper.
********* Overlook: Passover.
********** Chinese Appetizer: Egg Roll.
********** Cocoa Rodent: Chocolate Bunny.
************ Warm Angry Muffins: Hot-Cross Buns.
************* Sound Chicks Make: Peeps.
Next: Chapter 71 - Political Intrigue
Previous: Chapter 69 - Battling Buddies