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! ***

Send in the Clowns

A Farce in Eight Acts

Dramatis Personae

In order of appearance

The Party

Braegon,

Constant Commander, a male human earth-elemental.

Serendipity,

Dark Damsel, female elven Celestial mage.

Dawn,

Aerial Aficionado, a female human Air mage.

Roke,

Eccentric Enchanter, a male human E&E.

Amelia,

Military Maestro, a female halfling warrior.

Pent,

Rimy Ruffian, a male halfling Ice mage.

Mortimer,

Scrupulous Scribe, male halfling warlock.

The Cast of Thousands

Il Capitano,

a former captain of Proscenia, party employer.

Patch,

a mime.

Zorro, Woody, Peach and others,

mimes.

Zanni,

a servant to Il Capitano.

Columbina,

a hand-maiden.

A Concierge,

of the Grande hotel

Pedro,

a silversmith. Brother of Paulo.

Paulo,

a maker of musical instruments. Brother of Pedro.

Two Townswomen,

wives of Pedro and Paulo.

Aristocrats,

dressed for a soiree.

Five Artistic Enforcers,

in black.

Lord Bartello,

an aged aristocrat.

Six Artistic Enforcers,

in black, two outfitted as warriors, and four as mages.

Scaramouch, :current captain of the Artistic Enforcers.

An Enforcer,

in black, of unbalanced mental state.

An Enforcer,

in black, somewhat hesitant and cowardly in demeanour.

Servette,

a maid to Il Capitano.

A Score of Artistic Enforcers,

in black, outfitted as warriors and mages.

An Earth Elemental,

emerging from the ground.

A Tribesman,

primitively dressed, with spear.

Three Tribes-folk,

primitively dressed, with sticks.

Two Riders,

dressed after the nature of the natives of Araby.

Humble Ali,

a native of Araby.

Two Ship Captains,

dressed after the nature of the natives of Araby.

Smith,

an agent of Guild Security.

A Woolly Mammoth,

domesticated and trained.

Several Veteran Carters,

some missing body parts.

A Barmaid,

at the "Chicken and Yolk".

A Male and Female Mime,

dressed as a Young Noble Couple.

Gods & Demons, distant figures in Dom Daniel.

Mordecai,

a minion.

A Queen,

suspended from the fly.

King Arturo,

rightful ruler of Proscenia.

Arlechinno,

chancellor and jester to King Arturo.

Brighella,

a bard.

Zagne,

a young woman, servant of Il Capitano.

Il Dottore,

a figure in scholarly black.

Princess Garsenda,

daughter of Arturo

Antelone,

tyrant of Proscenia.

Lords, Ladies, Officers, Guards, Citizens and Servants of Proscenia.

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

Act III - Upton-on-Sea: Oh, We do like to be beside the sea-side

Scene I W'nsday 2nd Frost. Roof of the "Grande" hotel, early morning.

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

Zanni, it appears, acting upon instructions from Dawn has rented the entire top floor of the stone "Grande Hotel", some 12 large rooms, at the sum of 1 guinea a night. Unaccustomed to such large sums Amelia requires some reassurance. The floor has many windows and balconies, and quite a number of staircases, both public and for servants, leading to the roof and downstairs. The building is solidly designed, though militarily indefensible. After checking out the rooms Braegon sets watches and the party sleep until a late breakfast.

Braegon has a complicated watch schedule, but as certain members of the party are engaged in other activities he and Roke assume the guise of others, in order that the schedule not be altered.

Braegon [to Roke]: "You be Dawn, and I'll be Pent".

[Exeunt]

Philosophical Interlude: Concerning Serendipity and the nature of Spectres.  It has not passed the party's notice that Lady Godrock has a number of unusual attributes: she can float and pass through walls, she is never seen in bright light, she practices magic of the Dark branch of the Celestial college, touching her drains life, and she can only be struck by magical weapons.  These attributes are not dissimilar to those possessed by certain members of the Greater Undead, most particularly the Spectre. Lady Godrock does not however appear to be undead, the arts of the Healer appear effective upon her, and those wards and charms against the undead are not sovereign.  In the absence of further evidence it does not seem possible to accurately categorize Lady Godrock, though a tentative hypothesis of "living Spectre" might be made.

Scene II Thr'sday 3rd Frost. Top floor of the "Grande" hotel, mid-morning.

Enter The Party.

The party enjoy a sumptuous buffet breakfast, and thereafter examine Columbina's locket. After ascertaining that the outside at least is not magical the locket is opened and inside is found a miniature of Columbina, and a small, dull mirror. Investigation proves that the mirror shows one's hearts love, (or hate). Amelia sees Arthur. Mortimer sees Petal. Serendipity sees a familiar face. The nature of the magic appears illusory, but we surmise that the image may be drawn from the viewer's mind. Other members of the party see only a mirror. The scribe is unsurprised that our fearless leader sees a reflection.

[Enter Zanni]

We ask Zanni to look at the "picture" in the locket and confirm the person's identity, but when he views the mirror the colour drains from his face, he snaps the locket closed, and he refuses to discuss the image that he has rather obviously seen, despite harsh questioning. Zanni refuses to even confirm that the image he saw has no bearing on our mission. Some members of the party begin to consider impolite actions. Mortimer assures Zanni that he has a strong moral objection to torture -- though this do not produce the relief expected. Zanni agrees to meet with Il Capitano's southern contacts and make enquiries regarding Brighella.

[Exit Zanni]

The party discuss theories as to whom Zanni saw, (Amelia's suggestion that Zanni saw Pedrolino, and that he is that Mime Lords son seems plausible). The Party, having learned that Brighella played an unusual instrument -- a six-stringed lute -- consider ways to find him. Seeking the name of the best maker of musical instruments hereabouts we are directed by the Concierge of the Grande to a shop off the marketplace and above a silversmiths. The party prepare to go out and investigate. Looking out the windows at the wide promenade we observe the locals. They are dressed in fine style, not unlike Destinians, but in solid, bright, thought not usually primary colours. The gentlemen tend towards doublets and trews and some carry small-swords, or daggers. The ladies wear wide skirts that require considerable room and some carry parasols. Some few of the ladies are dressed like the men and carry weapons. Having selected clothes and accessories that will not greatly dismay the locals we venture forth.

[Exeunt]

Scene III Thr'sday 3rd Frost. The Promenade and Market of Upton-on-Sea, early afternoon.

Enter The Party and many locals for colour.

The party promenades, space is offered us and in no particular haste we head for the marketplace. The scene is not unlike home, though rather cleaner and more prosperous than almost all parts of the Baronies, the cries of the street hawkers are mellifluous, and the urchins rather more rosy-cheeked and less smelly than the norm. Overall the crowds appear nothing so much as stage extras enacting a market scene in a play, but without any obvious choreography. There are some several street performers; jugglers, tumblers and musicians, and we head off down a side-street to the silversmith.

[Enter Pedro]

The smith is easy enough to find, and Roke, Dawn and Pent engage him in conversation. He refers them to his brother Paulo, who makes fine musical instruments in a workshop above the smithy.

[Exeunt]

Scene IV Thr'sday 3rd Frost. The workshop of Paulo, early afternoon.

Enter Roke, Dawn, Pent and Paulo.

Roke discusses musical instruments, and specifically six-stringed lutes with Paulo, who expresses that such an instrument is "unusual", since it is not possible to play six strings without six fingers. Paulo does however confirm that Brighella did posses such a lute, made by Paulo (before it was realized that he was a Mime Lord), and that Brighella had six fingers. Obviously something that slipped both Zanni's and Il Capitano's minds to mention. Roke commissions a "replacement" lute of the same dimensions as before, for 20 guineas, and Paulo becomes rather pale and sweaty.

[Exit All except Paulo]

[Offstage Back on the street]

Roke explains what has happened to the rest of the party and uses his "Wizard's face" to spy upon proceedings in the house. Within there is turmoil. Paulo is panicking, and discussing options for fleeing with his wife. It appears that he has mistaken Roke and companions for the minions of the Mime Lord Brighella and is considering whether he should flee immediately. Quickly the party contrives a recovery.

[Enter Serendipity and Mortimer, posing as police agents ]

Eschewing the theatrical convention of good cop / bad cop for the more avant-garde archetypes of extremely frightening cop and sinister cop, Serendipity and Mortimer gather up Paulo, Pedro and their wives and explain how matters stand. Serendipity tells how she knows that Paulo has just been contacted by several disreputable types, minions of Brighella, how they are under surveillance by the proper authorities and how it would go well for Paulo if he recounted all that had happened. Apparently satisfied with Paulo's rendition of the facts, she then instructs him not to begin work on the lute, and to stall the miscreants should they return. Having thus unburdened the instrument maker we leave.

[Exit Serendipity and Mortimer]

Scene V Thr'sday 3rd Frost. The Market and Promenade of Upton-on-Sea, early afternoon.

Enter The Party and many locals for colour.

On the way back to the Grande, the party discusses the nature of Proscenia. Braegon ventures that the mimes may perhaps be a form of scapegoat, made illegal and hated to give the people a common enemy. Roke's spell of Location on Zanni suddenly fails and a new spell fails to locate him. We return to the hotel.

[Exeunt]

Scene VI Thr'sday 3rd Frost. The Grande Hotel, early afternoon.

Enter The Party, Concierge and liveried staff.

Zanni proves not to be in our rooms. Dawn desires to fly and, since it is not felt safe for a single party member to go alone, Serendipity accompanies her.

[Exit Dawn and Serendipity]

Pent is given a sealed scroll by the Concierge. The scroll has no magic upon it but when Mortimer breaks the seal it begins to burn. The message reads: "I await my carpet delivery". The use of a divinatory device reveals an image of a barrow of apples in the marketplace, suggesting a disguised mime was nearby.

[Enter Zanni]

Zanni arrives back and tells the party members present that Il Capitano's contacts will be arriving at the hotel mid-evening, and will blend into our soiree!

[Exeunt]

[Offstage, an Aerial interlude]

Dawn and Serendipity fly out of town and during their flight observe some shadow-winged arrivals at one of the secret landing fields. They steal close and observe what appears to be police officers of some sort relaxing in an arrival area disguised as a barn. Apparently unobserved by the police, Dawn and Serendipity sneak away and depart.

Scene VII Thr'sday 3rd Frost. The Grande Hotel, late afternoon.

Enter The Party and Zanni.

Zanni, with help from the staff of the Grande has organized in short order an intimate soiree for several hundred of our closest total strangers, demonstrating that he does indeed have some useful skills. Zanni also explains Roke's previous loss of locate on him by informing us that he had portalled back to Proscenia city to keep Il Capitano up to date on our activities. He also informs us that he believes that he will be recalled soon as Il Capitano thinks us a disharmonious group -- Zanni having somehow garnered the impression that we had threatened him. Your scribe once again tries to assure Zanni that he has a most strong moral objection to torture and once more Zanni appears little relieved. Before departing to finish soiree preparations Zanni tells us that Il Capitano's contacts will speak to us at the gathering and that we should tell them that "we're not from around here".

[Exit Zanni]

Party discusses soiree, mimes, winged police, Il Capitano's cunning plan and Zanni's usefulness. Roke and Pent decide that with an hour or so to go it is time to engage the services of a tailor. Fortunately the Concierge manages to find each of them suitable, though somewhat worn outfits. Braegon, being under an illusion is unable to change his clothes, although that appears a fairly normal state of affairs. Dawn appears in a crimson confection, Serendipity dresses in stunning style, Amelia is clad in fey finery, and your scribe is attired in an unspeakable ensemble.

[Exeunt]

Scene VIII Thr'sday 3rd Frost. The Grande Hotel, dusk.

Enter The Party attired for a soiree, Zanni, Concierge and liveried staff]

Mortimer asks Zanni, as a trainee Binder, if he could fix the braid on Roke's jacket, which he does, though the appearance of the magic is a little unusual and fails to completely dismiss suspicions that he is actually a mummer.

[Enter Aristocrats, unfashionably early]

Our guests begin to arrive, announced at the door by the Concierge, and duly DAed by Serendipity and Roke, our Celestial checking for "strongest magical ability" and our Enchanter -- who knew they could DA? -- for "degree of ability in mummery". Many of the arriving guests do indeed have magical abilities -- far more than at a similar gathering on Alusia -- though many are of the cantrip or quasi-magical variety (healing and bardic voice among them). Prestidigitation features. Some have fuzzy auras similar to Columbina. One interesting demi-mondaine, accompanying a much older gentleman, possesses the Mind College and is master level in one of the less socially acceptable arts, as well as having moderate skill in mummery. A middle aged man of the De Vespa family also possesses moderate mummery, as does one of the five members of the Artistic Enforcement squad who arrive and begin pooping the party. Overall a third of our guests possess some skill in mummery; included in this are three of the five guards, who also between them as their most powerful magic possess: Flying, Fireball, Hypnosis, Mind Cloak and Hellfire.

The soiree is by now in full swing. Dawn holds court on a balcony, brought canapés and a few too many drinks by eager young gentlemen, Pent lurks nearby. Amelia and Mortimer mingle with the guests, looking, at least in part, for any with six fingers, and take the opportunity to speak with the Enforcers. It appears that we are from a "permitted plane". Braegon turns our designated room of retreat into the smoking den for aged and crusty gents, and Roke and Serendipity dance -- somewhat less expertly than the locals -- Roke suffers with an appearance of pleasure. Taking a break from enjoying Serendipity's company, Roke dances with a matron (with only slight mummery skills) who complains that standards have slipped since her day, and that several of the young ladies are in danger of acquiring a chill. She also tells how the Enforcers turn up at most major events though they are never invited.

[Exit some Elderly Guests, Enter some Younger Guests]

The Enforcers wall-flower in the ballroom. Dawn chats with her coterie of young men who tell how the Enforcers are the "fashion police", attending parties and reprimanding those whose aesthetics are too avant-garde. They enforce the standard and styles of society. One tells an amusing anecdote of having to return a hat that was too large by an inch.

Zanni tells Braegon that one of Il Capitano's contacts has arrived. Braegon attempts to clear the elderly gentlemen from the smoking room by opening windows and bringing in musicians and manages instead to make it the "party room". Dawn leads the enthusiastic party goers up to the roof and the remaining members of the Party manage a few minutes with the contact, Lord Bartello. Once the password has been given he tells how readings of the runes have been unsuccessful in locating "the fiddler", Brighella, and confirms that only two persons are believed to have left Dom Daniel. Somewhat as an aside he mentions critics, who are licensed and audited by Artistic Enforcement. A council (of critics?) sets the standards and advises Enforcement. Trends are apparently acceptable, except where they go against accepted standards; making a statement is dangerous.

The Party disperse and smoking is resumed in the room just as the Enforcers arrive to investigate. Braegon and Mortimer smoke, Lord Bartello snores. The Enforcers stare at us. Mortimer returns the stare through a magical monocle that is examined and returned. The Enforcers go up to the roof and instruct the musicians to play something more acceptable.

Pent discusses body guarding with some of the aristocrat's bodyguards. This appears to have become popular recently following a trend set by King Antelone. Also appears rather low risk by Alusian standards. Roke chats with one Fredericco, a hafling who arrived disguised as a human, who has apparently retired to a life of leisure after the difficult profession of having no job. Dawn discusses soirees and discovers that perhaps two a week is the norm with the rest of the time filled with various noble pursuits. She is also told that there are enough Enforcers to guard the palace, perhaps 50 to 100.

The party winds down, guests depart and Serendipity and Mortimer dance the last waltz, eye to eye, both floating off the floor.

[Exit Aristocratic Guests]

As the musicians pack up Serendipity discusses Alusian music with them and then signs Brighella's astrology reading. The musicians become furtive, claiming not to know it, and when pressed claim not to want to know it, and that it is dangerously out of fashion. They are however happy to learn an elven folk tune. Dawn annoys them with questions. Zanni tips them extra as they depart.

[Exit Musicians, Concierge, liveried staff and Zanni]

Party discuss happenings. Dawn, somewhat the worse for drink says of the musicians: "Hypocrites! ...they're the ones that don't eat horses". Serendipity determines to do another star reading, this time simply on "Who has left Dom Daniel" and receives an abbreviated form of the earlier "I remember sky" verses.

[Exeunt the Party to sleep]

Scene IX Freyasday 4th Frost. The top floor of the Grande Hotel, mid-morning.

Enter The Party and Zanni.

The Party are none the worse for wear after their revels of last night, save Serendipity who cloaks herself in clouds of darkness. The Party question Zanni about his knowledge of last night's guests. He knows many by reputation at least, and appears nervous once again as though he finds being questioned by the group stressful. Oddly, several large rugs -- previously on the floors in rooms are missing. There is speculation that they are either being cleaned or have been taken by mimes. Zanni is despatched to investigate.

[Exit Zanni]

There is general discussion on Proscenia, mimes, Il Capitano's motives, and Patch; our captive mime. We decide to release the mime and see if he will offer any useful information. Pent removes the hibernation spell.

[Enter Patch, transformed into a snake]

We foolishly attempt to use various "speak to animals" type abilities, forgetting that he is still essentially himself, simply cursed into the form of a snake. Communication goes badly and even after we begin using common we get little information. Mortimer removes the curse. Patch offers to communicate via charades, but after the Party's initial dismal attempts settles for a combination of writing and some gestures. He claims to have travelled to Alusia "to get to the other side", and that Il Capitano did not see him. He cannot or will not communicate certain things as they are "in breech of employer confidentiality". Patch appears unsure whether he is psychopathic or evil, but claims not to want to overthrow society, though he is none too keen on the current King. He doesn't want "to be our enemy... or not to be". He knows Zanni and (some gesture which your scribe believes may mean that he knew him when he was younger / growing up). He knows that Zanni's parents are gone, and appears saddened. He also agrees that Pedrolino is gone, and puts vertical lines between these suggesting that they are not the same person. Overall he is not terribly helpful. We ask him to take a message to his companions and he agrees. We write that we would like to seek common ground and look for mutual benefit. When we ask him how we might contact him he detaches an ear -- complete with earring -- and leave it with us. We release him.

[Exit Patch]

Roke uses locate to track Patch and then loses the location some time later and across town. We discuss returning to Proscenia city and thence exploring Calenture. This turns into a general discussion of astrology readings, mummery and Patch. Dawn desires to speak to the winds on the hotel roof, and in keeping with our policy of no-one being left alone, Roke accompanies her.

[Exit Dawn and Roke]

General discussion continues.

[Exeunt]

Scene X Freyasday 4th Frost. The Roof and Top Floor of the Grande Hotel, around noon.

[This scene requires an upper and lower stage. The upper represents the Roof of the hotel, the lower, the party's room on the top floor. It will be necessary to have mechanisms for opening a hole between the stages, and also to have actors fly on and off the top stage and also fall through it].

(upper stage)

[Upper stage only is lit]

Enter Dawn and Roke.

Dawn proceeds to begin ritual. Roke guards. Roke spots something in the distance. It resolves into six figures, dressed in black, out over the sea and riding the winds towards the rooftop. Roke moves to the roof edge to cry down to the party's balcony and sees black carriages parked in front of the hotel, with dark garbed figures mustering. Roke calls party to arms, Dawn interrupts her ritual.

[Dim lights]

(lower stage)

[Raise lights on The Party less Dawn and Roke]

Roke's call alerts the party who begin to prepare. There is a brief discussion with Braegon and Amelia as to whether we intend to resist arrest. They counsel a soft resistance. Braegon: "Don't kill them until they attack us".

Party withdraws to corner room, and prepares.

[Exit Pent to roof. Dim lights]

(upper stage)

[Raise lights on Dawn and Roke]

Roke prepares weapons.

[Enter Six Artistic Enforcers, flying]

Roke engages the newly arrived guards in conversation. They instruct him to "cease and desist", and tell him that if he doesn't come quietly he will be "resisting arrest". Roke drops his sword so that it dangles by its lanyard, and quickens himself and Dawn. He asks the guards in whose name they are making this arrest, but they do not reply.

[Dim lights]

(lower stage)

[Raise lights on Braegon, Serendipity, Amelia and Mortimer]

The members of the party still on the top floor continue to prepare. Amelia grabs packs. Mortimer blocks off access to the room with a wall of thorns and Braegon makes a goodly hole in the roof.

[Use mechanism to open a tunnel between the lower and upper stages, and raise lights on upper stage]

(upper stage)

[Already present Dawn, Roke and Artistic Enforcers]

Surprised perhaps by the appearance of the tunnel, one of the Artistic Enforcers impales Roke's leg with a spear.

[Enter Pent, running with javelin]

Pent retaliates by stabbing a guard.

(lower stage)

[Already present Braegon, Serendipity, Amelia and Mortimer]

Amelia throws packs onto roof, attempting to kill Pent with one of the heavier ones. Mortimer flies Amelia and other packs through the tunnel to the roof. Braegon flies himself, and Serendipity takes to the skies on wings, enshrouded in clouds of darkness.

[Exit Amelia, Mortimer and Braegon to upper stage, exit Serendipity into the flies. Dim lights on lower stage]

(upper stage)

[Already present The Party and Artistic Enforcers, less Serendipity]

A general melee ensues. Roke and Pent fight with two Enforcers. The others, who are mages, hang back and cast. Amelia prepares weapons, Mortimer flies to far left of roof to get behind Enforcer mages. Dawn becomes caught in Hands of Earth. The party is still unsure as to the level of resistance to be offered and take their cue from the actions of the Enforcers. The Enforcer mages use Lightning Bolt and Hellfire on the party. Taking their cue from the "subdual" magics of the Enforcers the party responds in kind. Mortimer casts Hellfire back.

[Enter and exit Serendipity flying]

Serendipity makes a strafing pass on wings and hits several with a Blackfire. After careful consultation with our military leader, Braegon tunnels the roof again, dropping the two "warrior" Enforcers down several stories, and Roke, now unengaged, uses an item to cast Necrosis on the remainder.

[Exit Two Enforcers through the stage, Three Enforcers crumple to the floor]

The remaining Enforcer, who had cast the Lightning Bolt, attempts to run for the edge of the building and as he dives off Mortimer curses him.

[Exit Last Enforcer, blinded]

The party takes rapid stock of their situation. Braegon breaks Dawn out of her Hand of Earth. Mortimer checks on the fallen Enforcers. Unfortunately our vigourous soft resistance and use of similar subduing magics appears to have been too much for one of the Enforcers who expires despite your scribe's best efforts. The party grab scattered equipment, and leave on wings, winds, flying armour and a magic carpet. We take with us the only loot of the mission so far, an Enforcer's spear still stuck through Roke's leg.

[Exeunt]

Scene XI Freyasday 4th Frost. Open countryside some 15 miles from Upton-on-Sea, an hour after noon.

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

The party land in hills a distance from Upton-on-Sea and stop for very late "elevenses"; Tea and Trollskins. We engage in a discussion as to who set the guards on us, imbibe many restoratives, cast various magics --including, cunningly, Walking Unseen as this will render us visible to each at close range, but should render us invisible to distant observers. We depart back towards Proscenia city and our employer.

[Exeunt Omnes]

End of Act III

Act IV - Proscenia City: Alarums and Excursions

Scene I Freyasday 4th Frost. Open countryside, half way back to Proscenia city, around dusk.

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

We stop en-route for dinner and divinatory magics. Dawn attempts an astrology reading of "Who instigated the arrest attempt on us?", and receives a musical answer, " I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango...". The similarity of the name in the reading and that of the current captain of the Artistic Enforcers fails to surprise anyone. Mortimer attempts an astrology reading of "The intentions and motivations of the former King's minstrel; Brighella", but gets no answer. We dine and depart.

[Exeunt Omnes]

[Offstage, an interlude]

A few minutes flight out of Proscenia city we stop to recast flying and unseens and to cast Quickness, and then depart for Il Capitano's house.

Scene II Freyasday 4th Frost. Il Capitano's house, roof and upper stories, near midnight.

Enter The Party on wings, winds and divers flying mechanisms, land on Il Capitano's roof.

The party lands on Il Capitano's roof and effects entry. We sleathily make our way through the house, save for Serendipity, who in a moment of light comedic relief, and despite the fact that she floats to move, manages to find any number of ways to make noise. Roke, having previously located both Il Capitano and Zanni indicates a room in the house and we move to it. We knock and enter and greet Il Capitano. Zanni appears quite surprised to see us. In the room there is another man, dressed in black. He is introduced to us by Il Capitano as Scaramouch! (DAs reveal that he is a Mind Mage and much skilled with a Spell of Truth). At Il Capitano's "suggestion" we decide to go downstairs to the kitchen and see if the cook can provide a later supper. We depart.

[Exeunt]

Scene III Freyasday 4th Frost. The kitchen of Il Capitano's house, around midnight

Enter The Party, already present, A Cook and Two Artistic Enforcers.

We enter the kitchen to find the Cook and two black clad Enforcers. Roke enquires after the location of a garderobe and excuses himself.

[Exit Roke]

Braegon checks for the most recent hostile magics to affect the Enforcers (Mental Attack and Wall of Light), and we sit, eat and engage them in light conversation. One of them begins questioning Dawn as to where she comes from and unsatisfied with her answers becomes hostile and threatening.

[Exit The Cook, quietly]

When Dawn truthfully tells him that she hails from Stonesboro, he stabs her in the arm with a fork! Despite this unprovoked attack the party remain calm. He then tells her that we are all under arrest, and when asked for the charges responds, "back-chat for one". The man is clearly unbalanced. He tells the party to stay put and goes upstairs to inform his captain. Serendipity steps into the scullery and becoming a cat curls up out of the way.

[Exit mad Enforcer, and then Serendipity]

[Offstage, a private interlude]

In the garderobe Roke casts a Wizard's face to spy upon Il Capitano and Scaramouch's conversation, using that small room for voyeuristic privacy. Il Capitano and Scaramouch are discussing hemlines, although this appear to be a code for political alliances of some sort. The mad Enforcer enters the room and has a brief, whispered discussion with Scaramouch, who tells him to "take them all in". He leaves the room and Roke begins to try and Sleep him.

Scene III continued The kitchen of Il Capitano's house, a few minutes later.

In the interim the party have a cast a spell or two, much to the discomfort of the remaining Enforcer who appears a pleasant enough though somewhat nervous type. Braegon has been telling him how much trouble he and his partner will be in for harassing Il Capitano's guests.

[Re-enter mad Enforcer]

The mad man returns and has time for one good exclamation along the lines of "you're all coming with me", before crashing insensate to the table. His companion appears quite put out by this and insists that we aid him in getting the mad Enforcer into a carriage and accompanying him to the gaol. We agree, and moments later he joins his partner on the floor. Now faced with the need to conceal the slept and hibernated bodies of two Enforcers, Mortimer uses curses to turn the mad Enforcer into a pot, and his companion into a soup ladle and then conceals them in the scullery. The curse allows for them to be released should they be used to serve minestrone to royalty.

[Enter Servette]

A maid of Il Capitano's appears and tells us that she is to accompany us, although she appears uncertain as to where that should be. We ask her for a tour of the cellar. She is agreeable to this.

[Exeunt Omnes]

Scene IV Freyasday 4th Frost. The cellar of Il Capitano's house, after midnight.

Enter Servette and The Party, except Serendipity.

We examine Il Capitano's cellar, and a fine cellar it is indeed. Braegon decides however that the one thing it is missing is a fortified bunker and begins building one, leading off one side of the cellar via a small tunnel and heading towards the alleys behind the house. We enter and examine the bunker and await events. Dawn, nervous about confinement underground soothes herself to sleep. Roke continues to use a wizard's face to eavesdrop on Il Capitano and Scaramouch from the neighbouring room, and to occasionally check the environs. Roke apprises Serendipity (still in cat form and in the scullery) of events. Several of Il Capitano's servants suddenly have to visit sick relatives.

[Offstage]

Il Capitano and Scaramouch talk more openly of alliances. Scaramouch exclaims: "Look at the time, I must be going". Chanting begins in the room.

[Onstage]

Roke's Locate on Il Capitano changes to a SSE direction and a check of range shows 82 miles, placing it well outside an populous area. Roke notices black clad figures beginning to surround Il Capitano's house. Roke tells Serendipity to re-join the party and prepares Quickness. Braegon opens a tunnel at the back of the bunker. Suddenly tunnelings open up under Il Capitano's house, uncovering the cellar but not the bunker. Servette screams. Amelia assaults her. This all fails to wake Dawn.

[Enter A score of Artistic Enforcers from all directions, and Serendipity running]

As Serendipity hurries to re-join the group, the guards open fire with crossbows and spells. Serendipity manages to resist several spells but is wounded in the leg by a poisoned quarrel. A wall of fire appears in the cellar and two guards leap from street level, one stumbles and falls into the wall. Serendipity leaps through the small tunnel into the bunker and Pent seals the crawlspace with a plug of ice. Mortimer darkens the bunker and some of the cellar as more guards begin leaping into the cellar from street level. As the party hurry down Braegon's escape route an Earth Elemental breaks through the floor into the bunker. Servette screams. Amelia assaults her again.

Braegon carries the still senseless Dawn into the new tunnel. Dawn does begin to become aware of her situation -- sealed underground -- and this gives her pause. With the party now clear of the bunker, Mortimer raises the light level in the area to totally lit. A moment later several of the party are thrown the length of the tunnel by a telekinetic rage spell, slamming into each other and the far wall. Servette screams and collapses.

At the end of the tunnel Braegon opens a new route at 90 degrees, and at the back of the group Serendipity drops a gold ball. Amelia runs for it. Suddenly a new pit opens up and the house of Il Capitano's neighbour collapses into it in spectacular style.

[Exit Earth Elemental]

As the party runs into the new tunnel fire flashes past, and a tunneling appears at the far end. Guards leap into this as other run down the tunnel behind us, and then pull up nervously as they come face to face with Amelia and Serendipity. Braegon prepares a counterspell -- to some disbelief from various party members. Roke prevents Dawn from doing anything stupid. The party moves close to Braegon, Amelia tumbles Servette out into our first tunnel, where she is killed by the guards. Braegon counters his tunneling and the world goes away.

[Exeunt]

End of Act IV

Act V - Foreign Climes: There and Back Again

Scene I Immediately thereafter. An open place decorated in an earthen theme.

Enter The Party.

We appear on an open plain, in a cold and wintry land, under a clear and starless night sky. The ground is muddy with a little mould for local colour. Scattered across the landscape are cylindrical plugs of earth -- the "tailings" from tunnelling spells cast on many different planes. These appear and disappear as we watch. We plan to find a tailing from Alusia, or from a plane where we know a portal home may be found. Our plan is given considerable urgency as Dawn begins to take damage merely from existing here -- the place appear inherently inimical to Air mages. Braegon puts a trollskin on Dawn, and then he, Serendipity and Roke use DA to hunt for a likely tailing. Pent creates a dais of ice to try and insulate Dawn from the ground, this does not prevent damage but it does appear to attract more tailings. We feed Dawn healing potions, made more difficult by her choosing to become gaseous. Finally a tailing appears from Alusia. We run to it. Braegon tunnels into it, and then counters his tunnel with us inside, and once more the world goes away.

[Exeunt]

Scene II Freyasday 4th Frost. An open grassy plain, somewhat arid and decorated with cattle, an hour before dawn.

Enter The Party.

We appear at night, but near dawn, on dry grasslands, under bright (but not unnaturally bright) stars. There is no sign of the mage who made the tunnel we hitched a ride on. There is evidence of many cattle having passed recently and some can be seen in the distance, along with a campfire. Our position as calculated from known stars appears to put us some 16-17 degrees North, though we cannot tell our longitude. From the geography we guess either south-west of Araby, or far south-east of the Lunar Empire and well into terra incognito. We decide to send ambassadors to speak with any people at the campfire.

[Exit Amelia and Roke]

[Offstage, a campfire conversation]

At the small camp-site, consisting of a single tent of fragile design and some four primitively dressed persons, Roke and Amelia engage in halting conversation. The locals appear to understand the little Roke knows of the language of the Lunar Empire, and the apparent leader, says something about horses while shaking a spear. He also tells Roke that there is a town to the south-east, and then Roke and Amelia depart, returning to the party.

Scene II continued The grassy plain, a short while later.

[Re-enter Amelia and Roke]

Our ambassadors recount their conversation, and based on this information, and after a short conversation the party elects to fly north-west for an hour, to use the remaining duration on our flying magics and to put distance between us and our arrival point.

[Exeunt]

Scene III Reapsday 5th Frost. Elsewhere on the grassy plain, more arid and with an Acacia tree, dawn.

Enter The Party, flying.

The Party lands and make camp. Braegon moves earth to build a credible hill-fort, complete with latrines and bathing area. Roke produces sackloads of fresh food and fills the bath with milk, and Serendipity bathes. There are suggestions that future historians, stumbling on this fort, may mistakenly believe an army passed this way. In keeping with Braegon's complex watch schedule, Pent goes on watch, along with Roke pretending to be Dawn. There is some discussion about the events of last night, our employer's sudden portalling to a safe distance, the manner in which we were compromised. Suspicions are aired that our employer was responsible for the raid. Dawn speaks to an uncultured and provincial wind and gets little information. We camp for six hours and then depart, flying north-west and hoping to find the coast south of Araby.

[Exeunt]

An Aerial Interlude Reapsday 5th Frost. Flying over arid terrain, afternoon.

The party spends the afternoon flying over arid terrain and covers some 300 miles to the north-west. We pass large but nearly empty riverbeds, and begin to see signs of habitation -- white, flat-roofed, adobe or stone houses, with rather mangy looking horses and ridiculous animals that some in the party identify as camels. We pass small villages and a town or two, choosing to stop and camp for the night couple of hours after dark, with the plan of visiting one of these settlements in the morning.

Scene IV Sunday 6th Frost. An earthen fort on an arid plain, near a dry river bed, dawn.

Already present The Party, sleeping or on watch.

Around dawn our pickets observe two local goat herders approaching with some three dozen goats. A few unintelligible words are exchanged and they move on. We discuss the possibly of storm calling to procure a cloud for Dawn to arrange transport but are concerned that given the climate a dust storm is possible. We decide to continue flying, pack and depart.

[Exeunt]

Scene V Sunday 6th Frost. Outside a town in Araby, morning.

Enter The Party, flying.

The party lands a half mile from a town and walks closer. Guards with recurved bows are observed on the walls. They fire, the arrows falling some 10 yards short. Braegon and Roke move a bit closer and two horsemen ride out from the city to meet with them. There is a halting conversation in several languages. The locals confirm that we are in Araby, and that this town is "Al Shabab". They claim that it is six days ride to the coast and then three days sail to Carzala. The first figure sounds plausible, the second less so. Braegon attempts to claim Araby for the Duke of Carzala. The locals become agitated and we decide to leave.

[Exeunt]

An Aerial Interlude Sunday 6th Frost. Flying over arid terrain, afternoon.

The party spends the morning and afternoon flying over arid terrain and covers several hundred miles to the north-west. We pass over dust, sand, wilderness, some small towns and a couple of large but nearly empty rivers. By mid-afternoon we see clouds in the distance. A bit later we can see blue water in the distance, and clouds over the coast. We angle towards a likely looking coastal town and stop a mile or so away. The party makes camp, and Amelia, Pent, Roke and Mortimer head for town.

Scene VI Sunday 6th Frost. Outside a coastal town in Araby, twilight.

Enter Amelia, Pent, Roke and Mortimer, walking.

Heading towards the town we see goats, cattle and camels. Arriving at the gate we are stopped by guards. They send for a translator, who turns out to be our very good friend (that we didn't know we had), humble "Ali". He generously offers to help us, even taking care of the payment to the guards on our behalf. We explain that we wish to seek passage on a ship and fortunately several of his friends and relatives are in the trade. He does appear to get a little confused though as he leads us around town by a most circuitous route, even crossing his own tracks. Eventually we arrive at some form of meeting room with a lot of steam and poor ventilation, where he introduces us to two sea captains who might take us to Freetown in the Isles of Adventure. We proceed to a less steamy environment to have dinner and discuss terms, and Ali's name becomes "Ahmed". The Captain of the Golden Eye offers to take us tomorrow for 4lbs of silver, and the Captain of the Rising Phoenix offers terms of only 1/3 of that, but cannot depart for a week. We tell Ahmed that we will discuss with our companions and return. He leads us out of the city, and I give him a small purse to ensure that there are no outstanding debts. We return to the camp.

[Exeunt]

Scene VII Sunday 6th Frost. Outside a coastal town in Araby, later that night.

Enter Amelia, Pent, Roke and Mortimer, walking.

We arrive back at camp to find an unusual edifice. Braegon and Serendipity have constructed a pillar of stone, within a ring of stone, within a rink of starlight as a defence against the myriad of scorpions and other desert dwellers. Dawn is ensconced on top of the pillar engaged in a ritual to summon a cloud. After further discussions, and the decision not to use a ship to return home, we embark upon Dawn's cloud, rise high into the air, and fly off north-north-west.

[Exeunt]

An Aerial Interlude Beginning Sunday 6th Frost and continuing for several days. Flying over ocean and later land.

[This scene can best be staged with the use of a large map and perhaps some large pages of the nature of a calendar, the pages being carried on stage-left and off stage-right while the party's progress is marked upon the map in some fashion].

We fly all through Sunday night, and then through Moonday 7th and that night switch to a freshly summoned cloud in mid-air. We have passed over an immense stretch of water in this time. We continue travelling by cloud through Moonday night and into Duesday 8th. Around mid-day we sight land and touch down to renew spells around dusk. We follow the coast rather than heading inland to avoid the Dark Circle, and continuing on through W'nsday 9th we again switch clouds around mid-day and see the cities of the Five Sisters laid out below us. Thr'sday 10th brings unfavourable winds and we use Mage Wind to continue north. Around dawn on Freysday 11th we cross into Carzala and touch the cloud down just outside the guild, having travelled some 2000 miles to get home.

Scene VIII Freysday 11th Frost. A room at the Guild. Early morning.

Enter The Party and Smith

The party enjoy an early morning breakfast and debriefing. Smith of Guild Security informs us that Princess Garsenda arrived in Carzala a few days ago and took up lodgings at His Grace's palace. He also informs us that the Duke would be grateful if she would leave -- and that if we could arrange that His Grace might see his way clear to not raise our taxes. We discuss the situation and propose possibilities as to the actual identity of the "Princess". We make arrangements for "Her Highness" to be invited to the Guild as some of us are invalided and unable to travel to the palace.

[Exit Smith]

The party discusses events, and particularly Servette and how we were located in the cellar. Dawn considers leaving the party after her rather unpleasant experience with, as she calls it "that Hell place"; believing that she had indeed died there. It is obvious that Dawn is severely traumatized, and, in this healer's opinion, possibly mad. Mortimer takes Dawn back to his house for a ride in the fresh air and sky on a nightmare. The rest of the party go about their business until the Princess can arrive -- at the elegant hour that nobles arise.

[Exeunt]

Scene IX Freysday 11th Frost. A room at the Guild. Later that day.

Enter The Party.

The party reconvenes to meet with the Princess, who arrives in Duke Leto's second best carriage.

[Enter Columbina, disguised as the Princess]

We are not surprised to find that the "Princess" is indeed Columbina. We return her the locket and she returns Serendipity's brooch. She had heard of the arrest attempt on the South Coast, though no reason for it. She tells us that since our sudden departure, Il Capitano has been arrested and thrown into Dom Daniel. Zanni has disappeared and not been heard from, and that an earthquake is held responsible for the collapse of the house next to Il Capitano's. Columbina informs us that since we agreed to go into Dom Daniel we are honour bound to follow through. We inform Columbina that Il Capitano employed us to minimize mime activity and that entering Dom Daniel, whilst part of his cunning plan, was never agreed to. Columbina is nonplussed.

Columbina's Story: Columbina works for Princess Garsenda, whose aims are generally at odds with those of Scaramouch. The Princess wishes to inherit the throne, (soon), and would also like to see her father (although not in Dom Daniel). The Kingdom has gone rather downhill since Arturo retired, and there are now many more Artistic Enforcers (perhaps 120?). The Princess wants Arturo out of Dom Daniel, but does not wish to release the demons held therein. She does however wish to conduct a review of all cases in the last year as some people may have been sent to Dom Daniel incorrectly. Il Capitano is part of the Princess's circle and "shadow court" and was chosen to employ us as "he is a man of action". Il Capitano felt that we could in some way "break" Dom Daniel, but may have been concerned that we might also break Proscenia (?) or interfere with succession.

Columbina tells us more of mimes and of the history of Proscenia. It appears that mummery is illegal because it is unaesthetic and hence immoral. That many nobles possess some ability in it merely highlights that nobles are often immoral -- but they take care to only use their abilities away from the public eye. It appears on Proscenia that aestheticism equals morality, and performing mime in public may be equated to tupping in public, or indeed Morris dancing. Assassination on the other hand is considered morally neutral. Columbina also tells us that it is possible some mimes travelled through from Proscenia with her and outlines her cunning plan:

Columbina's Cunning Plan: Dressed as mimes we accompany Columbina back to Proscenia, break out of the customs arrival area, fly to Calenture and cast ourselves into Dom Daniel. (Apparently our equipment will end up on the lake shore -- something Il Capitano may have neglected to mention). We then try to free ourselves and Arturo, but no demons.

The party agree to discuss this and all parties depart upon their business. [Exeunt Omnes]

A Philosophical Interlude Freysday 11th Frost until Moonday 14th.

Various places. The party arranges for secure lodgings for Columbina at the Guild. Dawn arranges a most interesting astrology reading (by way of bibliomancy) regarding the non-existence of Dom Daniel, which sparks considerable discussion, and another on the whereabouts of Zanni that proves most interesting.. Braegon and Roke research in the library. Pent and Amelia investigate Columbina's almanac. Mary-M is contacted and in turn attempts to ask a question of her patron Sammael. Upon receiving the unusual message she is heard to remark "Oh no, not again". Mortimer and Dawn depart to seek advice from some off-plane contacts.

Scene X Moonday 14th Frost. A room at the Guild. Mid-morning.

Enter The Party.

We discuss our various findings. We discuss possibilities as to the nature of Dom Daniel. We discuss the issues of the Princess inheriting, quoth Pent: "We could put my belt on her and kill her and she'd come back as a guy". We examine the now somewhat mangy ear that Patch gave us and heal it. Speaking to the ear we ask mimes to meet us in New Seagate square an hour after noon -- near the apple-cart. We depart for the square.

[Exeunt]

Scene XI Moonday 14th Frost. The main square in New Seagate. An hour after noon.

Enter The Party.

We examine apple carts but find no mimes. On the way back to the Guild we stop and have a picnic and speak to a local street performer who tells us nothing of interest.

[Exeunt]

Scene XII Moonday 14th Frost. A room at the Guild. Later that afternoon.

Enter The Party.

We discuss ways of getting through the customs office at the Proscenian end of the portal. We discuss wings, winds, mammoths, carpets and chickens, and eventually arrive at a cunning plan. We send message to the New Seagate guard that it might be perhaps best if merchants were warned out of the main square an hour or so after noon tomorrow, and that there would be an oration.

[Exeunt]

Scene XIII Duesday 15th Frost. The main square in New Seagate. An hour after noon.

Enter The Party and Columbina, also a Woolly Mammoth.

The party arrive in the square in time for the oration. Five members of the party -- all but Amelia and Pent -- are dressed in head-to-toe black outfits and appear human, Mortimer having grown to five feet for the occasion. Accompanying the party is Columbina (dressed in normal clothes), and a woolly mammoth, courtesy of Pent's magics. The square is unusually quiet though there are some merchants with barrows of rather suspect vegetables, and some persons of the lower variety. Shortly after we arrive however a murmur goes around that it's "not that Guild" and people begin to disperse. Apparently throwing rotten vegetable at members of the troubadours guild is expected. Columbina begins a majestic oration on hats. A wide beam of light arrives and the world goes away.

[Exeunt Omnes]

Scene XIV Immediately thereafter. An open place of no known location.

Enter Each of the players separately.

In a reprise of Act I, Scene IV, 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, Columbina and mammoth are present. We await the end of the journey, and when, in the distance a light appears, we roll Columbina in a carpet we procured for the purpose, loosely tie Amelia and Pent's hands, Mortimer takes the mammoth's halter and we wait for the world to reappear.

[Exeunt]

End of Act V

Act VI - Proscenia Again: O for a Muse...

Scene I Duesday 15th Frost. Proscenia customs house, and streets, early afternoon.

Enter All the Party, disguised as Artistic Enforcers and Prisoners with Mammoth, and Columbina rolled in a carpet.

A squad of five Artistic Enforcers in shadow forms and wings (one of whom is bearing a rolled carpet), two halfling prisoners, and a woolly mammoth appear in a warehouse and immediately begin to step off the enormous set of scales on which they have arrived. An official tells them to wait as the weighing is not complete, but when he looks up at what he is weighing he utters an expletive and pales. The five Artistic Enforcers begin to move off with their halfling prisoners and mammoth, when, in a carefully rehearsed action, the mammoth encircles with its trunk the smallest of the enforcers-- the one holding its halter -- and flings him across the warehouse, where, with a great wail he rockets out of a window.

At this, the halfling prisoners begin yelling "It's loose!" and a general panic ensues. The Enforcers leave the mammoth on the scale and (with their prisoners) make their way in good order towards a wall. The largest of them turns to the local guards and indicating the mammoth commands them to "arrest that!". The mammoth stamps and trumpets (quite damaging the delicate scales) and in the confusion the carpet is dropped amongst a pile of other luggage. The Enforcers open a wide hole in a wall (allowing many to escape), and walking into the street beyond, spread their wings and, grabbing their prisoners, take to the skies and leave.

[Exit The Party]

The mammoth casually walks through the now deserted customs warehouse and ambles towards the river a couple of blocks away. Once there is jumps into the water and begins to swim down-stream. A few minutes later it transforms into a huge pile of snow that melts in the river as it is washed downstream.

[Exeunt]

[An Aerial Interlude]

The party flees Proscenia city on wings, but over the next few minutes change to flying by winds in order to loose the thirty foot black position markers. They are pursued by unknown parties on wings, some distance behind.

To slow, or hopefully prevent pursuit Mortimer calls a storm which due to an ill thought out spell write-up, or a numerically literate GM, but most probably theatrical conventions, causes the storm front to cross the party's flight path at supersonic speeds. Most of the party, flying with their own winds, are largely insulated from effects. Braegon is thrown several miles off course. Mortimer is apparently disintegrated... but gets better. Dawn exults. Pursuers decide they have better things to do. Regrouping takes some time -- hampered by party members being unseen.

Party flies hours to the north-east until dusk. After tea, rituals and moon-rise the party flies on, and upon sighting mountains angles east to the end of the chain, landing as the flying magics expire. Braegon builds a fortified cave and in rebuttal to some comment about his appearance quoth: "I'm smarter than most Earth Elementals". We decide to camp for 8 hours but as Braegon's complex watch schedule cannot handle this we try something even more complicated. Dawn pretends to be Dawn for half a watch.

[An Investigative Interlude]

W'nsday 16th Frost. It is cold and bleak. Dawn speaks to a rather provincial "gulley" wind. Braegon has a pointless conversation with an Ash tree. The party trys to contact mimes using ear, and while some contact is made there is no useful communication.

Continuing their travels the party sights a wall that stretches many miles from a large town in the north, nestled in the tail of the mountains and a smaller town in the south by the coast. Flying to halfway the party examines the wall. The stone appears to be facade over crackling disintegration energies held in check at top and bottom. The area below the wall cannot be tunnelled through, the area above the wall is something like solid wall of air. Released energies make insects and other creepy-crawlies grow to immense size. We observe giant worms and spiders. The whole appears a seam, stitching a planar rift together. Dawn speaks to birds who state that the wall cannot be flown over.

[A Conversational Interlude]

The party fly to the north city and observe a wagon train entering the keep -- presumably bound for Calenture. Party discuss options for getting through. Consider speaking with a carter. Decide to check out smaller southern city. Discuss more options. Discuss going over mountains. Party observes the northern town and engages in discussion of many cunning plans involving hiding in barrels, tunnelling, mammoths and skin change.

[Cunning Plans]

Eventually Braegon summons an earth elemental and, from half a mile out the party tunnels under the town emerging in the cellar of a warehouse. Sneaking out into the street we follow Roke's locate to the "Chicken and Yolk", a carter's pub. There we purchase beer and stew and, in order to relieve the frosty atmosphere, several rounds for the pub. Braegon, Mortimer and others engage the carter's in talk about Calenture getting horror stories about colleagues eaten and oxen sucked into the ground, and beleaguered farmers in kraals. In the meantime Dawn talks to the barmaid and finds that Calenture may be visited as a day trip without papers, at the cost of 1 penny per person. Abandoning our cunning plans we decide to be tourists.

Locating a deserted house in the town we break and enter and spend the night. Scrounging the house we manage to put together a couple of picnic baskets.

Scene II Th'rsday 17th. Calenture Portal and Calenture, morning.

Enter All the Party, disguised as Nobles on a Picnic with Guards.

Dressed as a party of nobles and bodyguards out for a day trip, the party proceeds at 9am to the gate house and pay over our 7 pennies. We pass through the fortifications (containing the usual array of portcullises and murder holes) into a courtyard and thence through a tunnel into the mountain. It becomes dark (even for magical sight), the ground slopes down and we pass through a tingly area that DAs as being under the effects of disintegration magic. Continuing through the dark tunnel we reach closed doors and opening these see bright sun, grass, and a stone road. There are also guards in fortified posts watching the sky, arrows nocked. This end of the portal emerges just below the brow of a hill, surrounded by forest and covered by blue sky. The area around the portal appears mown and edged by a stone wall through which the road passes. There are more guards. Looking further afield we notice an odd visual effect. Some 10 miles off we can see farm cottages and people working -- one has a blue hat. In a different direction some 12 miles away is a lake, with four ducks... and two drakes. Checking these unusual optical effects with a spyglass reveals only blurriness.

Dawn attempts to speak to a bird. The magic does not appear to work properly leading to suspicion that it is not a real bird. Braegon takes root. The earth feels nearly dead. The dirt has a magical aura, nature being "creation". We head down the road and the archers offer dire warnings to "be back by nightfall".

Dawn and Mortimer take to the air and scout. We quickly discover that the plane has a ceiling at about 200 feet -- some form of wind barrier, much like the top of the inter-dimensional wall. The party flies to the lake and Dawn and Mortimer swing closer to the cottages, which on nearer inspection alters in appearance until it is a fortified kraal, and then rejoin the party at the lake edge. The lake appears huge, the far side cannot be seen. Braegon roots, the earth is barren and bleak. Lake edged by 200 feet of swamp. Pent constructs an ice bridge to the water's edge. Dawn flies in and tries to land on end of ice, misjudges, attempts to pull up and inadvertently flies out over lake. Suddenly she disappears and all of her gear falls to the ground as though the water's edge were a solid wall. Amelia (with enhanced vision and an item) views the lake and sees formless spirits in the "lake" and "air" above. To normal sight it appears to be a lake with sky above, but under Amelia's sight it appears to be a wall with spirits beyond.

Dawn reappears from the lake edge some distance away, unclothed but apparently unharmed, and recovers her gear. She says that she appeared to be under water in greyness and headed for a blue edge. All spell magics (save a Lesser Enchantment) appear to have been removed, but ritual magic was not affected.

Braegon builds an earthen jetty to the water and we spend a long while examining the edge of the lake. Thrown objects hit the invisible wall and bounce off in random directions (similar to the ceiling). The only things that do not bounce off are people, and cream pies from Pent's gonne -- and these only pass through if intact. DAs show the pies to have mummery magic. Taking a bite from a caught pie results in the remaining pie bouncing. Ducks waddle out of lake and Dawn again tries unsuccessfully to converse with them. Under another magic a duck says "Quack!". We use Skin Change to transform a duck into a rat. Serendipity tries to talk to it (as a creature of Night and Shadow). It is confused, but give odd reactions that are not like an animals. We throw transformed rat into lake, Amelia sees it revert to a spirit duck shape and then a duck waddles out of the lake. We tie a stick and a pie to a duck and then use Damnum Magnatum to transform it into a frog. Into the lake it goes. The curse comes off the frog reverts and the possessions are ejected.

Mortimer fails to divinate the lake (there is nothing to divinate) so while he divinates Dawn, she in turn speaks to winds. Dawn contacts a Proscenian wind that came through the portal. It tells her that while there are seasons here there is no moisture at all. Also that the ducks exist and that the local creatures are either small or huge. The wind says that it cannot get over the lake and that the area that appears to be lake is the edge of the world.

Pent fails to freeze lake water. We use magic to purify it -- it still cannot be frozen. We use a magic removal effect on the magical water -- no effect. Braegon digs huge spiral pits and drains off water. Serendipity suggests that perhaps there is no air here and then collapses, not breathing. Braegon helps her recover.

More time is spent fooling with lake edge. A magically created net bounces off. A darksword dagger bounces off. An iron dagger at close range rebounds and injures Amelia. Dawn and Pent go into lake. It is a grey area, with a blue entry area. They cannot see each other, cannot hear, spells seem to be cast but have no apparent effect. They are pulled by current. The blue begins to fade and both head towards the "shore". Eventually both come out. Roke kills a duck. Pent attempts to take dead duck in, the duck bounces. More discussions.

The party sees an approaching family. As they get closer their appearance changes, becoming a cavalry patrol, then a platoon, a company, and finally of troops of battalion strength, heading cross-country at speed towards the lake. The party takes to the air unseen and circles around. Getting closer the numbers dwindle until it appears to be one couple, holding hands and skipping towards the lake (at some 15 mph).

[Enter Two Mimes dressed as Proscenian Nobles]

They stop and observe Braegon's pond. We wave, they bow. Picnics are arranged and we talk, sort of, as they seem to be mimes, dressed as Proscenian nobles. By signs they tell us that they know of the lake and can go in a small way, but too far and everything falls to the floor. When questioned about why some objects enter and others do not they show us a posy, as opposed to a bunch of flowers. Pent gives a javelin to the man who twirls it like a baton before returning it to Pent and keeping an exact copy. They offer to trade a picnic basket to Pent in return for his gonne, but he decides against it. They cannot copy people. The mimes indicate that they know Arlechinno. Serendipity signs Brighella's song which they deny knowing but do appear to recognize. They are keen to have some people released from Dom Daniel. They tell how a night here there are fierce creatures. Finally they tell us that they do not resist persecution by the Proscenians because they would become worse than their tormentors. They mount up imaginary horses and leave.

[Exit Mimes]

We briefly visit a kraal that on closer inspection resolves into a stone barn. It appears to be a guard post. They point crossbows at us and say that they are paid to be here and that we should go away.

Returning to the lake Roke enters. His DA talent appears to work but give very odd answers suggesting that his generic true name is "Roke" and that the plane of origin of the cream pie he carries in is "Cream Pie".

More discussion occurs. Finally we determine that those who so desire will enter the lake and try to enter (and then jail-break) Dom Daniel. Serendipity, Amelia, Dawn, Roke and Mortimer will enter the lake. Braegon and Pent will return to Proscenia with all of the party's gear and stay within locate range until the Carnival.

There will not be a rescue party.

Quoth Roke: "On with the face paint and into the lake."

[Exeunt Omnes]

End of Act VI

Act VII - Dom Daniel: Another Fine Mess...

Scene I Th'rsday 17th Frost. Lake edge, Calenture.

Already present All the Party.

The party prepare for entry into the lake. Roke and Mortimer make use of grease paints from Mortimer's equipment and put on clown faces. Dawn jumps in, Amelia follows.

Five minutes later Serendipity, Mortimer and Roke enter, with Roke and Serendipity holding hands (and Roke taking damage).

[Exit into the Lake, Dawn, Amelia, Serendipity, Roke and Mortimer]

The five move away from the shore and away from the light.

[Exit to divers locations Braegon and Pent]

Scene II Th'rsday 17th Frost. In the Lake.

Enter Dawn, Amelia, Serendipity, Roke and Mortimer.

[Individually -- for they cannot see each other]

After some while a form of self-image begins to reassert itself. Familiar clothes and some equipment begins to appear on their unclad forms. Serendipity becomes as darkness, Dawn appears as herself in her red dress, Roke appears as himself is a woven cloak and peaked hat with ear flaps, Amelia appears younger, with longer hair and a silver arm, and Mortimer appears as a noble elf.

The current becomes stronger, then roiling, and each is straightened out, stretched and feels to be sucked down into a hole. Thence, within a bubble, and floating in a pale green liquid, each begins slowly floating to the surface.

[Exit]

Scene III Sometime after the 17th Frost. Dom Daniel.

Enter Dawn, Amelia, Roke, Mortimer and Serendipity, one at a time, in that order.

As each enters they rise until they are standing upon an almost solid surface. Dawn and Amelia stop at stage height, Roke rises some few feet higher (as though on a pillar), Mortimer rises a few above that, and Seredipity continues rising until she is some 10 feet above Dawn and Amelia. (See Appendices for fuller physical description of Dom Daniel).

[Staging Notes -- it will be difficult to represent the nature of Dom Daniel without magical assistance in staging, as each actor walks as though upon a hillock, but a hill where the sides are liquid to those lower.  An Illusionist may be of considerable use in this endeavour].

The party spend some time familiarizing themselves with our new surroundings. They appear to be in a valley of sorts, with greenish ground underfoot (at their various heights), rising up into cliff walls and growing paler as it does. Distant figures may be made out atop the cliffs. The party each remember that they know things, but cannot recall the specifics. Seredipity concentrates for some time on her ability to create weapons of darkness and from beneath her a bubble rises. When it arrives and breaks at the surface she discovers that she can remember her talent, and also that she has risen an additional foot in height. The party spend some time remembering things and rising with each memory.

Mortimer goes in search of others and discovers two women dressed in fine servant's clothes. They are polite to this elven stranger, but cannot remember their names. They walk into a cliff, and return shortly, one foot higher and announce that they are Maria and Isabella. They were servants at the palace, and some time ago -- they are vague of how long their have been here -- after some sort of commotion they were cast into Dom Daniel. They seem to know little else.

In the meantime a figure descends from part way up a cliff, apparently dropping bubbles and height and approaches Serendipity, the "tallest" of the party. Dawn attempts to intercept a bubble and gains a "taste" of something unpleasant.

[Enter Mordecai]

The stranger introduces himself and indicates that his "master" is atop the cliff. He speaks to Serendipity is a stilted and high faluting language, and offers to trade knowledge, which appears to be the common currency in this place. Mordecai assumes that the rest of the party are Serendipity's retinue. Serendipity thanks him for his offer and gently puts him off, stating that as one newly arrived she needs time to consider options. Mordecai offers as parting advice that Serendipity should not "start anything, because no-one will finish it". As Mordecai leaves he summons make memory bubbles to gain height. Dawn intercepts one of the bubbles and feels the memories wash over her, gaining the taste of something not altogether pleasant, but retaining none of the knowledge.

The party decide to move off, putting some distance between ourselves and Mordecai and his master, and also in the hope of uncovering some Proscenians of our acquaintance. As we move we discover more of the physical properties of the place; the residual memory of the ground -- peaks and troughs stay until undone by another traveller. The ground becomes more viscous the higher one rises, and as one rises abilities becomes harder to use and more prone to failure.

[Enter A Queen, suspended from the fly]

We pass a hill top inhabited by a Queenly type. Amelia bows to her and she in return sprinkles sparkling faerie dust on Amelia that confers some from of blessing. We move on.

[Exit Queen]

Serendipity and Roke examine the aura of the plane, which is magical in nature. Serendipity seeks to find what might break the plane and discovers as an answer the "Final Cataclysmic Darkness". Roke attempts to find the exit boundary and learns that it is "at the edge of your understanding". Mortimer discovers that he has no contact with the higher Powers, as though the link was disjointed in some way. Roke backfires and goes catatonic. When he recovers a short while later he recounts that he found himself alone and floating and enveloped in velvety darkness. When Dawn backfires soon after she reports the same effect. Spells cast at each other appear to have no effect. Stabbing Roke in the leg while catatonic appears to do him no harm, though he reports a feeling of "pins and needles".

[Enter and Exit, suspended from the fly, a number of Mythical, God-like and Brightly Coloured Figures]

A great roiling mass of figures, far above us, rolls overhead swamping us all underwater. When the turbulence clears and the ground level reasserts itself the Party moves on.

[Exit All of the Party through a valley between two peaks]

Scene IV Date unknown. The Proscenian Court in Exile - Dom Daniel.

Already present Il Capitano, Proscenian Courtiers and Guards. Enter The Party.

Emerging from between two peaks, the Party come upon the Court of King Arturo in exile, arrayed in a bowl-like valley, the Guards occupying the high ground and the Courtiers mingling freely on a slightly lower level.

Il Capitano, dressed head to foot in black, does not appear all that pleased to see us. He expresses surprise that we have weapons (apart from those present as part of our self image), and requires that we leave our arms before seeing the King. We hand weapons to Amelia (those that are part of our self image reappear on us) and she stays behind to talk with a Guard.

[Exit Amelia]

The remainder of the party are taken before the court, where we meet the King, his Chancellor dressed as a Jester, a lute player, and a young woman who works for Il Capitano.

[Enter King Arturo, Arlechinno, Brighella and Zagne]

King Arturo seems quite unaware of the oddness of his surroundings and confides in us his unhappiness that the Princess does not visit. Arlechinno appears and disappears, and there are suggestions that it is useful for a Chancellor to be able to come and go as needed.

Arlechinno gives Dawn his bladder on a stick and the King assumes she is the Chancellor. Arlechinno gives his stick to Seren who turns into a cat. He subsequently turns her into a pie and there follows an odd conversation regarding the uses of cinnamon as a condiment for Baronesses.

The party questions Arlechinno regarding his ability in disappearance and he tells us that he can escape Dom Daniel by "forgetting". Arlechinno can and has helped Brighella escape before and is confident that Il Capitano could also do it. The party suggests a council to discuss escape options.

We discuss with Arlechinno and he tells us of "decomposing". The last part of the decomposition is hard; one must give up life, but not die. Arlechinno decomposes and Brighella composes. We discuss with Il Capitano and speak of conventions; dramatic, operatic and even Morris dancing. We talk of icons and masks and the minimization of information, and after much discussing we arrive at the "Cunning Plan".

The Cunning Plan

The Party proposes a masked ball. All of the Court are to take on the guise of stock characters, and it to be a vice-versa revel to increase the chance of a humorous rather than tragic slant. The court will dance and over the course of the ball the character variants will reduce until only the archetypes remain. Arlechinno, the jester will copy and mock each in turn and absorb them until only he is left. Arlechinno will then escape Dom Daniel as he can, and produce forth Brighella who will re-compose the Court. The dance will continue with the archetypes becoming variants until the final dance and subsequent unmasking, when the King will be revealed to be one of the revelers.

[Writing this some time later your humble author admits that in the cold light of day, or indeed anywhere outside of Dom Daniel, this may all seem a bit odd. But take it from one who was there; it was stranger still at the time].

Arlechinno lends to Serendipity his ability to create things from nothing and she attempts to make him a fine new jester's outfit for the masque. The first attempt is rather black and spiky and perhaps more suitable for guerrilla street theater. The second attempt is still rather combat oriented, but the third is excellent. A black jester's outfit with a mirrored mask that will reflect the viewer's face.

The Party decide to attend as clowns, or "lazzi" as we do not know the courtly dances and forms. Serendipity elects to be a bullying clown, Amelia a pratfaller, Roke will be clumsy, Dawn will mimic and be under foot and Mortimer will dress as a doctor and be a fool. Arlechinno runs a clown school and teaches us pratfalls and schtick.

Also in preparation for the ball we send out scouts to find others who wish to take this opportunity to escape Dom Daniel; but little comes of this.

Scene V The Masked Ball. Date unknown. The Proscenian Court in Exile - Dom Daniel.

Enter variously King Arturo, Arlechinno, Brighella and Zagne, a mysterious figure dressed as Il Dottore, all of the Proscenian Courtiers, Servants and Guards, and The Party.

(Should the producer wish to replicate the costumes worn by the party they may equip Amelia with a frizzy and blood red wig; Dawn in a reddish brown scholar's robe; Roke in various shades of blue; Seren in black and midnight blue; and Mortimer in the black robes of a doctoral scholar.)

The ball begins with courtly dances and proceeds as outlined in "The Cunning Plan" above. As the party forgets skills and gives up knowledge and abilities we sink. Odd attributes disappear and normalcy returns, Seren's tattoos disappear and missing feet return. Mortimer becomes a halfling again. The party and the court sink, and Arlechinno the Jester begins to absorb courtiers. Dawn becomes stuck, unable to change, and then gives up her mortality; her wings fall off and she plummets. We try and catch her but she passes through us. Arlechinno absorbs the party and the other named players until only Arlechinno, Brighella, and Il Dottore remain. Finally there is only Arlechinno. (We surmise, and this will certainly do for a dramatic retelling. Obviously once absorbed your playwright cannot say with certainty what transpired).

[An Aquatic Interlude]

In the lake of Calenture, the party encounter odd shapes, colours and flavours. We consume them and regain ourselves and our knowledge and abilities.

Scene VI Sunday 27th Frost. Lake edge, Calenture.

Already present Braegon and Pent.

Braegon and Pent are waiting on the edge of the lake as they have done so every day for the past 10 days when from the lake begins to emerge a most singular procession of masked courtiers and servants.

[Enter Arlechinno, Brighella, Il Dottore, Zagne, all of the Proscenian Courtiers, Servants and Guards, and The Party, except for Dawn].

All appear much as they did in Dom Daniel, save that Seren is dressed in gold & white, and Mortimer wears an outsized Il Dottore costume. Dawn's body is floating in the river. Braegon enters the water and ressurects her. The last dance is held and then all are unmasked. one of the courtiers is revealed to be King Arturo, Zagne is revealed to be Zanni, and Il Dottore is revealed to be Il Capitano.

[Exit Arlechinno, Brighella, and Il Dottore, skipping].

(Staging note: at this point the costumes and indeed clothes of all present, with the exception of Arlechinno, Brighella, and Il Dottore unfortunately disappeared. Mortimer understands if the producers may wish to omit or alter this portion of the act in the interests of taste and public morality. However, the use of illusory clothing, dispelled at the appropriate moment and leaving the players in only their underwear should achieve the desired humourous effect).

[Exeunt Omnes]

End of Act VII

Act VIII - Finale

Scene I Sunday 27th Frost. The Proscenian side of the portal to Calenture, early afternoon.

Already present Border Guards. Enter All the Party with King Arturo, and Courtiers, Servants, and Guards.

Serendipity explains to the border guards that King Arturo is actually a dashing hero who is sneaking to the palace to rescue the princess (who is disguised as a princess) and thwart the dastardly plans of the tyrant who is disguised as the king. Arturo further distracts the guards. The group wanders through town and into the country.

Braegon and Pent appear to believe that the rest of the party has gone mad, and wonder if perhaps Dom Daniel has affected their companions in some dire fashion, but after much persuading and arguments they agree to follow the lead of those who have escaped Dom Daniel. Seren and Amelia are disguised as servants (by the simple expedient of wearing servants hats) leave for the palace bearing a message for the princess.

[Exit Seren and Amelia]

To give them time to deliver their message the remainder of the party accompany "our hero" on his quest. He overcomes a skeleton, a great pit, an area of slowness, and a wall of thorns (all thoughtfully provided by the party). Having whiled away some time we return to town, gathering some guards and take a portal to the palace.

[Exeunt Omnes]

Scene II Sunday 27th Frost. The Palace, Proscenia, late afternoon.

Enter downstage left Braegon, Roke, Dawn, Mortimer and Pent, with King Arturo, and Guards.
Enter upstage left Serendipity and Amelia.
The groups meet up and enter the throne room.
Enter downstage right Antelone and Lackeys.
Enter upstage right Princess and Ladys-in-waiting.

Amelia locks the door.

Our hero kisses the princess and realises that she is his daughter. Guards and lackeys fight. Braegon uses a wall of stone to keep guards and lackeys away from Arturo and Antelone.

They fight with sword and scepter respectively, and sing a stirring duet as they battle. Although Arturo is our hero and fights with right on his side the evil tyrant appears to be winning. With sudden inspiration Mortimer casts a great curse upon Antelone, causing his range to drop to a baritone, and almost immediately Arturo runs him through.

Antelone sings a death aria and expires after only a single encore.

King Arturo knights some chairs, and Il Capitano reappears leading Artistic Enforcers who set to rounding up other Artistic Enforcers.

[Curtain falls]

(Staging note: should the producer wish for an appropriate, theatrical, but harmless curse -- to use in place of the real thing -- Mortimer offers the following verse: "Usurper you are, and Tyrant you be, a Villain's baritone voice for thee!").

Encore W'nsday 30th Frost. The Palace, Proscenia, mid-morning.

Already present The Party, King Arturo, Arlechinno, Brighella, Il Capitano, Zanni, other named actors, Proscenian Courtiers, Servants and Guards.

A royal court is held. The chancellor declares that the "coup was unsuccessful", indicating that the last year did not occur. Servants are rewarded. Changes to the court are announced; there are to be less statues and more people. As there has been no coup, and hence nothing for the party to do, we "guests" are given friendship rings: silver rings with mime symbols and the royal seal, which are worth about what one might expect, and are told that we are being sent, or perhaps deported to the south coast.

[Curtain falls]

Epilogue

 And thus good gentles our tale is told,
 Of villains vile and venturers bold.
 We trust eight acts they did not bore,
 Though from the rear we heard a snore.
 We'd rather hoped your attention to hold,
 But either way the seat was sold,
 And for those who'd chance Proscenian shores,
 We pray this tale did give you pause,
 So greet all the mimes with a glare and a frown,
 But run for your lives when they send in the clowns.

End Note: Il Capitano was less than gracious and withheld a goodly portion of our reward, some of which was made up by Columbina. At midnight on the 30th we were deported and arrived home in the main square of Seagate.

Appendices

Being by way of a partial glossary and gazetteer, with some cultural and historical notes, as well as those astrology readings undertaken by or for the party, with annotations.

Glossary

Proscenia

An unusual small plane, kingdom and city -- the same name being used for all three -- heavily influenced by and devoted to the performing arts. Highly settled and civilized, with a level of magic and technology found only in the most forward parts of the Baronies, and not unlike Destiny in many respects. Planar travel is well known and portal travel over long distances is common-place.

Humans and halflings are indigenous, elves are known as planar travellers. Dwarves are known only as malformed humans and not as a race. No mention of goblinoid races. The native language appears to be Common, but spoken with an accent not unlike that of Tuscana.

Proscenia has six major festivals or "carnivals" throughout the year (and a seventh in leap years) where people costume themselves in masks and act slightly immorally.

Some hundreds of years ago Alphonso the Great lead the then city-state of Proscenia in a period of expansion and conquest which resulted in him ruling the (small) plane and also that of connected Calenture. It is also at this time that the first edicts against mummery were issued and it appears likely that mimes originally hailed from Calenture.

Other named cities: Upton-on-Sea, Woodward-by-lea, Little Haughton.

Mummery

An illegal performing art and form of magic on Proscenia. Practitioners of mummery are known as mimes and greatly feared. Most occupy their time with outlaw activities, larceny, and for some reason arson (although often artistic arson; burring only things that are pink, or destroying structures to create a pattern are not unknown). An example was given of a vacant manor that was occupied by a mime masquerading as the Lord. Other mimes then moved in and all was only discovered when the true Lord of the manor returned.

Mimes appear to possess magical abilities unlike standard College magics (these are also known and legal on Proscenia) and are not affected much by Cold Iron. Their powers appear to allow them to alter reality by imagining it to be real for them, and their audience. They are, by way of example, able to walk through walls of stone by "feeling for an edge", or able to shoot an opponent by mimicking the actions of loading and aiming a crossbow. It appears that a mime can defend themselves by imagining a defence, such as "making" a wall between them and an attacking spell. It also appears that they can be trapped by the conventions of their art, and can, for example, be forced into an imaginary box from which they cannot find escape. Mime magic can affect observers, even if one does not believe in what the mime is doing, or even does not recognize it.

Mimes appear to possess a variety of abilities and fall into certain broad groupings or artistic movements. These do not appear exclusive like Colleges. A mime may be identifiable as a follower of one of the major schools by their dress and actions. Although a follower, mimes appear to desire "artistic integrity" and to make a statement or variation on their founder's work. Each school appears modelled around a Mime Lord, or possibly some sort of archtypical character whom the Mime Lord embodies. Mimes may co-operate in groups, "schools" of one style, or cross-functional groups "troupes" for operations.

Known Mime Lords and schools of mummery include:

Pedrolino

Followers wear white face and move slowly, manipulate emotions.

Il Dottore

Followers dress in black (after the manner of scholars?) and are know to rally crowds.

Pulzinella

Followers were domino masks, and may disguise themselves as other people --though a mask or hat of some form will always be present, even if only in the form of eyepieces, a tiara, a moustache or a scarf.

Arlecchino

White and motley, pratfalls and organs on a stick. (Arlecchino himself as Arturo's jester wore red and yellow with cute animal patches, and had a horned hat with animal motifs).

Brighella

?

Shapeshifters

Bright chaotic colours, imitate things

Acrobats & Caperers

Sleight of hand

Reality phasing

Moving through walls, walking on air.

Calenture

An unusual plane accessible from Proscenia by way of a permanent portal. The topography of Calenture is reportedly odd, with the river that feeds and drains the aether lake bounding the plane -- and said to be a stream of consciousness and a river or thought -- and astrology does not work there as there are no useful stars, being instead "little twinkly lights". Some magic is said to work differently there, one example given was that it is possible to lose control of illusions. It is interesting to note that the name of the plane is very similar to a Destinian word "Calentura", meaning a fever of the brain, said to affect predominantly sailors such that they see the ocean as green fields and leap overboard to frolic... with fairly predictable results.

From Columbina's Proscenian Almanac: "The province of Calenture, while primarily agricultural, has net imports of wheat, oats, vegetables, hides, wool and iron. It has no net exports".

Dom Daniel

A supposed place on the other side of a planar doorway that lies at the bottom of an aether lake in Calenture -- a plane permanently attached or accessible from Proscenia. Persons thrown into Dom Daniel can no longer with read by astrological arts and it is believed that there is no way out. Discovered some hundreds of years ago by explorers from Proscenia and used for many years as a convenient disposal system for beings considered too dangerous to simply slay; demons, spectres, unstoppable beings and Mime Lords. It appears that beings in Dom Daniel do occasionally die (though perhaps many years beyond their normal life span) and thence astrology readings will report that they are now dead.