Send In The Clowns

Scribe Notes

Summary

Adventure: Send In The Clowns
GM: Andrew W
Season: Winter 803 wk

Dramatis Personae

1. Braegon, Constant Commander, a male human earth-elemental.
2. Serendipity, Dark Damsel, female elven Celestial mage.
3. Dawn, Aerial Aficionado, a female human Air mage.
4. Roke, Eccentric Enchanter, a male human E&E.
5. Amelia, Military Maestro, a female halfling warrior.
6. Pent, Rimy Ruffian, a male halfling Ice mage.
7. Mortimer, Scrupulous Scribe, male halfling warlock.

Mission

Restore the rightful ruler of Proscenia and oust the tyrant Antelone. *** WARNING: Mimes! ***

Act I - Alusian Tales: Forward to Proscenia

Scene I - Duesday 1st Frost. A room at the Guild. Daytime.

Enter The Party (except Pent) and Il Capitano.

The Party have assembled in a room at the Guild to take up the offer of employment of Il Capitano (currently known as Captain Brown). He tells how he hails from Proscenia, a distant shore (and other plane), where once he was captain of the palace guard, and chief of the Mime Division of Artistic Enforcement.

Though now retired, and a private citizen, Il Capitano, acting as a consultant to the palace, is concerned that Mimes will once again cause havoc at Proscenia's annual Carnival. He has come to Alusia, and sought brave (expendable and deniable) heroes to assist. "Brown" is dressed after the fashion of a Destinian but in brown and tan, with some patches of colour. He appears to have no College, but does have a magical power of "mimicry".

Proscenia it seems, a peaceful and stable kingdom, is blighted by mimes, practitioners of mummery, an unlawful form of magic, and unlike to the normal (and legal) known colleges. He tells how during his term as Captain the top five Mime Lords were all captured and thrown into Dom Daniel -- a form of planar oubliette -- a box from which none can escape and inside of which none can be read using the arts of the Astrologer.

He also tells how last Carnival, some 11 months ago, there was much unpleasantness with mimes, and how the old and senile king Arturo abdicated his throne, and retired from public life, in favour of his half-brother Antelone. Later, both the old king's chancellor (also his jester), one Arlecchino by name, and also a court musician, Brighella, much known for his singing, were found to be mimes and cast into Dom Daniel. Fortunately for Il Capitano, he had resigned his commission as much as an hour before the change of government, and was happily pensioned off.

Recently he says, there have been mime incursions, and he fears that either a new Mime Lord has arisen or some have escaped from Dom Daniel. This latter fear is supported by recent successful astrology readings that should have failed as they were made about those in Dom Daniel. Il Capitano wishes the party to verify whether mimes have escaped from Dom Daniel, and reveals his most cunning plan.

The Cunning Plan:

Il Capitano plans to have the party remove their equipment and be transported to Proscenia, where, arrested on trumped up charges of mummery, they will be taken to Dom Daniel for permanent incarceration. But there, instead of being stripped and bound and thrown into the oubliette, Il Capitano will have their equipment waiting and fully outfitted they will voluntarily leap into Dom Daniel and then try to count the Mime Lords therein and then escape.

The party demur.

Il Capitano also warns the party that while they should be successful in preventing most disruption of the Carnival they should not be too successful, for such a degree of success would most probably result in them being tried for High Treason, and either slain, or if deemed too dangerous, stripped and bound and thrown into Dom Daniel. By way of payment Il Capitano offers up to 50 lbs of gold, depending upon degree of success, and leaves same deposited with the Guild.

The party discuss options, dismiss the cunning plan, agree to travel back to Proscenia with Il Capitano, and leave about their various affairs.

[Exeunt]

Scene II - Duesday 1st Frost. The same room at the Guild late that evening.

Enter All the Party and Il Capitano.

The party re-convenes. Braegon is now covered by an illusion of a large and hulking man, but no longer appears to be made of stone. Serendipity now appears to have feet. Pent joins the rest of the party and Il Capitano reports that mimes have followed him to Alusia. He believes that at least three mimes have followed him and there are reports from the Seagate guards that they have been busily arresting street performers this night and escorting them out of town. They report having arrested some 30 mimes and taken some to jail; one is still there, but from what we know of Proscenian mimes we believe the poor chap languishing in durance vile is probably an innocent Alusian. The party cast various and sundry defensive magics and then depart for Il Capitano's planar pick-up point.

[Exeunt]

Scene III - Duesday 1st Frost. New Seagate Town Square, a little after midnight.

Enter The Party and Il Capitano on wings.

Arriving in the town square the party checks for suspicious characters, examines trees and statues, and notices a chestnut seller. At half pas the hour of twelve, Il Capitano begins an oration designed to attract his planar pick-up.

It is a particularly flowery piece of martial poetry apparently exhorting soldiers to die for some fellow named Crispin. In response to his oratory, far off in the night a shaft of bright light appears, not unlike a Solar Flare in appearance, and begins sweeping towards New Seagate.

Also at this point mimes appears in and around the square, and throwing off their disguises of fruit trees, municipal statuary and a chestnut stall, they converge on the party's position apparently intent on sharing our planar portal back to Proscenia.

The party attempts to prevent this; Braegon erects rings of stone and iron, Pent ices the top. Some mimes leap the walls while others find their way through them, the iron does not effect them, though they are temporarily discommoded by a wall of thorns. Various of the party attempt bodily harm on the mimes within the walls with mixed success. As this frantic action is taking place the shaft of light approaches at speed and suddenly transfixes the scene with a dazzling glare. All goes bright and then dark.

[Exeunt Omnes]

Scene IV - Immediately thereafter. An open place of no known location.

Enter Each of the players separately.

Each of the party find themselves utterly alone, in a place of emptiness with no sight or sound or tactile sense, though they can still feel the existence and position of their bodies. Slowly sight returns and other members of the group, initially far off, draw closer with no feeling of movement. All of the party, Il Capitano and seven mimes are present. The elementalists find that they cannot draw mana, though Roke and Mortimer can. Some of the mimes attempt to sneak away. Despite the lack of elemental magic the party throws various effects at the mimes; Roke webs some who begin sawing out with mimed hacksaws, Dawn conjures a bear that proceeds to dance with one of the mimes, mimes caught in areas of light freeze, Pent unlimbers a pie throwing gonne (which proves most successful), Braegon experiments with calling "Hey You!" at them and the like.

Three mimes manage to sneak away, the four caught in light we nickname from their clothes (and former disguises): Zorro, Patch, Woody and Peach. Roke uses telekinesis to take Zorro's mask -- there appears to be no head behind it and Zorro hides his face in his hands. Peach is dancing with the bear, and as she extricates herself Mortimer curses her with two left feet. Serendipity hits Patch with a flour bomb that strikes him upon the heart shaped patch on his chest and he "dies" dramatically. Braegon rallies the remaining mimes with a call to mess and they line up, allowing Pent to throw more pies. The party takes a few more pot-shots and the remaining mimes run off.

Patch is examined and found to be seriously injured. He is stabilized by cleaning the cloth heart patch, but remains unconscious. The patches on his outfit are affected by a strong magic of "organ transferral" and appear to absorb shocks and provide triple jointing. Divination reveals that he has been affected by various mummery magics including organ transfer, wall walking, stealth and communication. We roll Patch up in a large rug that Roke happens to be carrying.

In the distance a light appears, it draws closer and we find ourselves out of the inter-planar space.

[Exeunt]

End of Act I

Act II - Proscenia: A Kingdom for a stage

Act II - Proscenia: A Kingdom for a stage

Scene I Duesday 1st Frost. Proscenia customs house, and streets, early morning.

Enter All the Party and Il Capitano, with Patch rolled in a carpet.

We appear in a warehouse and on an enormous set of scales, where Il Capitano declares us as cultural artefacts and souvenirs of his reported trip to the "south coast". We are somewhat overweight, due no doubt to Patch being in Roke's carpet and Serendipity levitates slightly removing her weight to even things out. Mortimer does much the same, but mostly just to annoy the customs officials. We are declared overweight, an extra fee is levied, and we are free to leave. Of the mimes who snuck away in the inter-planar space there is no sign. We travel through the sleeping streets of Proscenia in the cold night air. It is well lit with oil lantern street lights and even the smaller houses appear prosperous by the standard of the Baronies. We travel into a wealthier area with larger houses and arrive at Il Capitano's home, a large house with several servants.

[Exeunt]

Scene II Duesday 1st Frost. Upstairs in Il Capitano's house, early morning.

Enter All the Party and Il Capitano, with Patch rolled in a carpet.

Il Capitano tells us that our main contact while here will be his valet Zanni. We get the impression that Il Capitano wishes to converse little with us, perhaps so that we cannot divine his true purposes. We expect that Zanni will know as little as he needs to so that we cannot learn things we should not.

[Exit Il Capitano, Enter Zanni]

Zanni proves to be a male human in his mid-20's, tidy and enthusiastic. He has no college but possesses the ability of "wall walking" and began studying performance magics some 10 years ago. He is wearing a Mind Cloak, the most recent magic upon him is "forget" and he is a native of Proscenia.

The party, suspicious sorts that they are, suggest that Zanni's abilities suggest that he is in fact a mime. Zanni denies this, claiming not to be a mime, but rather a trainee Binder. He does admit however that his parents were arrested and removed for crimes of mummery and that he was a ward of the state before becoming Il Capitano's valet. It also appears that some mimes are reformed by the state and move into useful and legal careers as criers and merchants.

Zanni is interviewed and provides information about the happenings a year past and of the mimes: The old King, Arturo, was replaced by his younger half-brother Antelone. The Administration changed with the King, some people were arrested, some went on "holiday" to the coast -- and of these some are still alive. He also recounts how two members of the old King's court were found to be Mime Lords and sent to Dom Daniel, information we had from Il Capitano. Zanni tells how artistic movements change quickly, that there are never more than a few leading lights in mummery (these are the Mime Lords?) and that once the leader is removed some of the followers retire, while others change movements. Zanni reiterates Il Capitano's plan; we should enter Dom Daniel and then try to escape, thus proving it can be done and explaining the astrology readings that suggest two Mime Lords have escaped. The party becomes frustrated with Zanni's lack of information and requests to speak again with Il Capitano.

[Exit Zanni, Enter Il Capitano]

Il Capitano appears loathe to offer more information. He suggests that the information he has could "kill us all", and that even "saying this endangers us". The party are nonplussed as it appears Il Capitano's entire plan is to have us leap into a place that for hundreds of years the Proscenians have deemed inescapable and try to find a way out. Il Capitano also claims not to know that Zanni possesses mummery skills. We offer Il Capitano another option: if we can find an escaped mime that would prove the same thing; that escape from Dom Daniel is possible.

Il Capitano tells how upon retiring, the old King Arturo did himself journey to Dom Daniel. His successor, Antelone is unmarried and the old King's daughter, Princess Garsenda (herself in her early 20's and unmarried) is the only apparent heir. Arturo is seems had always been somewhat eccentric -- a number of positions within his court having been held by statues -- and had in his dotage been greatly influenced by his jester Arlecchino, whom he had made chancellor. With his abdication some two-thirds of the previous court has "retired to the South Coast", and some thirty servants (including children) were sent to Dom Daniel -- rather than be slain, this was considered a regal mercy. This totalled some 50 or so people sent to Dom Daniel in the last year -- whereas before this one every few years was the norm.

He further tells how recent astrology readings looking for risks to the King and kingdom have given answers that are most similar in style to some of 11 months ago (before Brighella and Arlecchino were escorted to Dom Daniel), and that this strongly suggest that two Mime Lords believed to be in Dom Daniel are indeed at large. People sent to Dom Daniel do occasionally emerge, but only if they are dead: it appears that sometimes bodies are found floating in the Aether lake near Dom Daniel, naked but without manacles and not aged from when they were cast in -- even if years have passed. There are never marks upon the bodies and Healers gain no useful information, nor will speaking with the dead work. Once a body is found Astrology readings will confirm the existence, and death, of the person. The readings with which Il Capitano is concerned however suggest that two figures have escaped alive; Arlecchino and someone rather sombre (though we have no better identification).

Dawn's idea: After we discover that Il Capitano can mimic the magical abilities of others, Dawn suggest that he imitate Roke's Location spell and attempt to find people with whom he is familiar who should be in Dom Daniel. He attempts to locate Arturo, Brighella and Arlecchino all with no success. But is was a good idea none-the-less.

[Exit Il Capitano]

The party examine the domino mask that Roke grabbed, and also Patch; the mime in the carpet. The mask proves to be the focus for disguise magics. Patch is found to have acquired a note: "Please return to sender". The note has been affected by Prestidigitation magic. We do not know how that got there. Pent hibernates Patch. Serendipity does a Star Reading on "the whereabouts and well-being of the former King's minstrel Brighella", and gets a response that suggests he is alive and well and living on the south coast, "Oh, I do like to be beside the sea-side...". Being late, and many hours since the party members had slept, we away to bed.

[Exeunt]

Scene III W'nsday 2nd Frost. Il Capitano's house, an hour before noon.

[Alarums] Enter The Party.

The party awakes to divers alarums and excursions. Carriages have arrived at the house and guards are diverting traffic. The party, fearing a well announced attack, prepare for the worst. Downstairs the Princess Garsenda is escorted inside where she visits with Il Capitano and discusses opera.

[Enter Zanni and Columbina]

Zanni brings the much coifed and coutured Columbina upstairs where she exults at us, saying that we are "going to visit Arlecchino", who has been "sent to Dom Daniel", and that we are "champions of the oppressed". This all appears to be Zanni's doing, and with the blessing of his master.

[Exit Princess, Columbina and cast of thousands]

The party remonstrates with Zanni, explaining that our mission is a secret and that he is to tell no others of it. Zanni responds that he will follow his master's orders. This further raises our suspicions that Il Capitano is playing a game other than that of which he has informed us. We are also informed that Columbina will be returning later this afternoon for further exulting, once she has been informed that she has left her fan at the house. The party have determined that, following Serendipity's reading of last night, we should journey on wings and other forms of magical flight to the South Coast and there attempt to discover the whereabouts of Brighella. Zanni will be accompanying us to continue to provide information without price, and to keep tabs on us for Il Capitano. Zanni leaves, to portal to the coast and arrange accommodation, before returning and flying down with us. Your humble scribe feels that the wit of this plan cannot be explained by mere words.

[Exit Zanni, Enter Il Capitano]

The party enjoys luncheon with Il Capitano, where he explains that the Princess's visit was unexpected and that he is a "friend of the family". It is possible that her Highness was checking on the truth of the "souvenirs" with which Il Capitano had returned. Our employer explains that in a month or so, when the request for payment of duty arrives from customs he will return us. Asking about our planned trip south, Il Capitano confirms that we can travel without papers, as indeed servants do, and that flying is permitted, although not through towns. He does not believe that Brighella retired to the coast, so if he is there it would be evidence of escape from Dom Daniel. We ask after portraits or statues of the people whom we seek. It appears that many statues of Arturo have "weathered badly" (probably vandalized) and that some were not good personal likenesses anyway. There may be some useful portraits, but these are in the palace and not easily accessible. When we ask if Il Capitano has any idea how we might find Brighella, he suggests that he will be locatable by the panicked and screaming crowds, will be dressed brightly and will most probably be flying through the air and setting buildings on fire. No doubt this is the official description, but we doubt it will be useful. Il Capitano tells us more of mimes (see the Glossary).

Our employer has certain "contacts" in the south so we arrange a simple recognition phrase. It is in Khuzdul, the language of the Dwarves and unknown on Proscenia. "Perhaps you know our mutual friend Loraco?". In the case of danger the name will be feminized to Loraca. As Pent comments, "Guys are good, girls are bad".

Il Capitano also confirms the connection between Columbina and Arlecchino, in that they were courting.

[2 hours after noon, Exit Il Capitano]

The party discusses matters. We suspect that Il Capitano wants to put old friends back on top, and perhaps desires a relationship with the Princess, supporting her as heir, and perhaps marriage.

[Enter Columbina]

Zanni gives Columbina's fan to Serendipity and regrets it. The fan is given to Columbina. In discussion it is revealed that she was away during the last Carnival and change of government, but she explains of the exiled servants that they no doubt "saw a lot and formed misleading opinions" and that "remedial action" was required. Some were sent to Dom Daniel, some innocents were sent to state "schools". Columbina was surprised when Arlecchino was found guilty of mummery. Of Columbina: a short lived sentient, warded against magic, and with a blurry aura of concealing magic. Asked for a picture of Arlechinno, Columbina gives/loans a locket to Serendipity, who in return gives/loans a brooch to Columbina. To help with our identifying exiled servants, Columbina describes for us two maid-servants and one "adorable child".

[Exit Columbina]

The party decides to rest for the afternoon. Dawn attempts a reading using divinatory feathers: "Where is Pedrolino?". The feathers do very odd things and no clear reading is made.

[Exeunt]

Scene IV W'nsday 2nd Frost. A field outside Proscenia city, night.

Enter The Party and Zanni on wings, winds and divers flying mechanisms, with Patch.

The party land in the field and do various magics. We turn Patch into a (hibernated) garter snake and stow him in a storage box belonging to Serendipity. The group then fly south for ten hours or so.

[Exeunt]

End of Act II