The Fox vs The Marquessa

Summary

Adventure: The Fox vs The Marquessa
GM: Stephen
Season: Summer 817 wk
Night: Thu in Royal Oak
Level: High

Party

Lath - (f) Human Air Jono
Erzsabet, Lady Hillborne - (f) Human Namer Julia
Zohar Haima - (m) Human Water, Admiral of the WK Chris
Ace, the wonder dog - Dean
Starflower - (f) Elven Mind - Jacqui
WordSmith - (m) Human/Lizard Namer - Errol
Cher, Lady Maltheim Cross, Suarime Binder, played by Sean

Employers

Count Richard of Foxcourt
Marquessa Dulcinea of Bowcourt

Mission: Truth, Justice, and Peace

Bring Marquessa Dulcinea to justice for her crimes against Foxcourt and the people of Bowcourt. Gratuity of ~50,000sp Alchemical services each.
Bring Richard formerly of Foxcourt to justice for treason and conspiracy in the murder of Duke Frederick of Aquila. 1,000tsg bounty.

Required skills, actions or mannerisms

Subtlety: This is defined as; delicate or faint and mysterious, cunning, wily, or crafty â€“ aka ingenious, clever, skillful, adroit, cunning, crafty, wily, artful, devious. Also so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyse or describe and making use of clever and indirect methods to achieve something delicate.
Discretion: This is being careful and prudent in one's speech or actions, especially in order to keep something confidential or to avoid embarrassment.

Lines of Enquiry

1 - After meeting with our employers separately we agreed to undertake investigations on their behalf.
We then before heading to the WK undertook a side trip towards the Lunar Empire and went to see the fates who gave us an avenue to explore to satisfy our employers to an extent. This however involves correcting some Chaos incursions to the plane by the placement of some items of Law in strategic places. The particular items of Law are to be found in the city of the Ruby Scourge.
While there we also visited Death who advised us that the Ruby Scourge was overdue Deaths invitation to rest awhile with him.
Oh what to do!

2 - We started on the western kingdom politics angle and we uncover some uncomfortable truths but nothing amazing.

3 -

Scribe Notes

Chapter One: Of Many Meetings

We began by meeting with Karli the Namer, and were instructed firmly not to mess things up. Most especially, Carzala should not become part of the Western Kingdom. Then we were to meet with the Marquesa, followed by the Count. We were led into a sitting room where there was a young human lady, taking tea. She said that the Marquesa would be seeing us soon. Then the Lady herself appeared, a remarkably well-preserved human woman. She explained that Richard of Foxcourt had taken advantage of the current situation to return and to stir up strife in the area, and that she believed that he was about to start a civil war. She told us that she authorised us to carry out the sentences that had previously been handed down on, and gave us a sheaf of legal documents. She expected us to follow all the laws of the Kingdom in so doing. No impropriety must be seen. We obtained permission to further investigate. She was offering cash. Before going to meet with Richard, we studied the legal documents. Richard was found guilty of being complicit in the murder of the Arch-duke in 804, and sentenced to death or exile. Should he ever set foot in the Western Kingdom he can be executed.
We are then led into a somewhat more masculine room, where a human male was waiting. He offered wine. He then told us that he had been framed for something that he did not do because it was politically expedient; the Marquesa wishing to place one of her nieces in charge in Foxcourt. His troops had been active in defending Foxcourt against the drow; but now the Marquesaâ€™s troops were active in Foxcourt, causing a lot of hatred and strife. He presented us with legal documents accusing the Marquesa. He offered the services of master alchemists, skilled in working with warpstone.
Regarding Michaelmas. The official story was that agents of Rashak entered the cathedral and destroyed all and sundry. Richard was killed, but survived, and that made him vulnerable to accusation. The other survivors were the Marquesa, her son, and two bodyguards. It is likely that the agent who betrayed the location to Rashak was also killed. The church itself should have provided ample protection against attack.

Day 2
Since it might be relevant, we studied and copied maps of the Western Kingdom, especially of Foxcourt. We established a bind point at Kilroyâ€™s front doorstep, where we would return if banished. We went to Slippery Rock to buy restoratives. We also took time to discuss our various abilities and plan what to do next. We decided to head for Foxcourt to order to investigate the â€œbanditsâ€ via Konigsburg (where the Michealmas incident occurred). Captain Zohar persuaded us to first talk to the Fates.

Day 3
We took the portal to Tycho City, had breakfast, then we flew to a place on the edge of the Lunar Empire where there were many temples including that where the Fates dwelt. There we were greeted by a matronly woman. She did tell us that she wasnâ€™t happy with the path that Karli is taking. After some discussion, we asked where we could find the evidence that will identify who was actually responsible for the deaths at Michealmas. She told us that Rashak was, of course responsible, but neither of our employers was the betrayer. We will need to gather witnesses and present them with an incontrovertible truth. She told us that there was a well in the far east of the Lunar Empire that will led us to incontrovertible truth.
In return she wanted a favour. She wanted a Guild Member who has given their self over to the Courts of Chaos. We needed to restore the balance, by placing Artefacts of Order in appropriate places. Seagate, Novadom and a weak spot in Mittlemark Hapstat. These Artefacts of Order were to be found in the Vaults of the ancient Elven City in Terra Nova. We should take no more than we need.
Death wanted to see us, so we went down to the lake and caught toads to put in our mouths. And then we visited Death. A boat made its way to us, poled by a couple of humanoids. We went with them. There was a cold that felt like it would not be unwelcome, bringing an end to struggle and strife. And there was Death standing before us. He too, had a task for us. In the East there was one who was capturing souls, and needed to be stopped. He was currently mortal, but was trying to change that. His name was Kurzon, a master of necromancy, and should be found east of the glowline, in a small town (Molarisor). The lost souls (from the Michaelmas massacre) were taken into the Great Spire in the Gatar Depression, but are most likely in tatters. In the Elven City, there was one who has been avoiding Death for a long time, known as the Ruby Scourge.
We then returned to the Guild.

Chapter Two: Of Many Murders and One Cathedral

Day 4
At the Guild, we discussed with Karli what we had learned. Erzabet shared that she thought the King might be a shape-changer wolf, and that one of his cousins most certainly was. Apparently Richard of Foxcourt was also currently a shape-changer, and his alchemists were able to confer shape-changing abilities on people.
There was a knock. It was a Guild librarian returning Patch who had been wandering again. There was also a message. It read: â€œTruth may be accessed on the Plateau of the Blue Moon, on the Night of the Blue Moon on 26th - 28th Meadow.â€ Lath then organised the Guild librarians to find out where this place is. When we went to the library, they were working on a massive map of the Lunar Empire. When Lath asked, they pointed out the location of the Plateau of the Blue Moon. I took the time to memorise as much of this map as possible.
We decided to go to Konigburg and see what we can find out, firstly regarding the relationship between Foxcourt and Bowcourt and how the current acrimony came about, and secondly investigating what happened at the Cathedral. Lath cast gaseous form on the party, and we travelled, arriving at a statue in a copse of trees just outside Konigburg. Then we walked into town. People studiously avoided us. Lath organised us a warehouse as a base of operations and a place to stay.
Then we visited the church. It was no longer in use, but there were guards about. Lath, under the guise of writing a book, set about organising access to the place. Captain Zohar decided to try finding a philosopher who might know about the history of the dispute. Meanwhile, I made my way (followed by the Wonder Dog) to the local red light district to see if information might be obtained from those who worked there. Erzabet went to the court.

Day 5
Discretely, we went back to the church. The building itself was perhaps 50ft by 30ft and had a large hole blown in one wall. The grounds were consecrated, but this effect ended by the church, indicating that it could not be re-consecrated. Detect aura showed nothing detectable within the chapel. It appeared to be a magically dead zone. There was no mana at all in there.
Inside the church we investigated the corner where the Marquessa was said to have escaped on Michealmas. We found that there was a priestâ€™s hole that might possibly accommodate one, maybe two persons, but not the Marquesa and her guards. I attempted divination using stored mana from my powerstone, but found there was literally nothing in there to divinate. I used psychometry on the walls to ask what happened to the protections â€“ the answer was â€œsoul curseâ€.
We picked up a piece of paper and took it outside. Then it had an aura of formerly living, but there was no answer to the question regarding the last magic to impact. I picked up a piece of rubble with claw marks on it, and tried psychometry on it to determine what manner of creature damaged it, but there was nothing. In fact, it appeared that the object had no history beyond the two minutes since I had taken it from the chapel.
Lath started talking to the groundsmen, scaring them silly, asking them to send the previous gardeners to us who might know more of the past of this place.

Day 6-7
We spent the next two days greasing palms and talking to people. I didnâ€™t say much, because it seemed that elves were not popular in this place.
We learned that four Michaeline chapels had been prepared for the meeting. The royal guard had decided at the last minute which would be used. When witnesses were asked what happened they said that there was a flash of darkness from the chapel, and then swirling fog surrounded it. When they returned, it was full of dead bodies.
We found out that the Marquessa and Richardâ€™s father had history when they were younger. Something personal, not necessarily romantic. This fell apart around the time Richardâ€™s father married, and relations have steadily got worse. We checked the other chapels and investigated the nature of the magics that had been applied. Numerous rituals, spells and artifacts had been used, some as expected, others novel. This was done by the Royal Wizardry Squadron, and we arranged a meeting with them. Some of them had died that Michealmas night, who had been in the chapel. They didnâ€™t really tell us much that we didnâ€™t know already.

Calendar

Summer: Meadow (1) 817wk
	Moonday		Duesday		W'ansday		Th'rsday		Frysday	Reapsday	Sunday
		Beltane Full Moon	1	Guild Meeting	2		3		4	5	6
	7		8		9		10		11	12	13
	14		15		16		17		18	19	20
	21		22		23		24		25	26	27
	28	Full Moon	29		30		1		2	3	4
Summer: Heat (2) 817wk
	Moonday		Duesday		W'ansday		Th'rsday		Frysday	Reapsday	Sunday
	5		6		7		8		9	10	11
	12		13		14	Midsummer Eve (Faerie Day)	15	Solstice	16	17	18
	19		20		21		22		23	24	25
	26	Full Moon	27		28		29		30	1	2
Summer: Breeze (3) 817wk
	Moonday		Duesday		W'ansday		Th'rsday		Frysday	Reapsday	Sunday
	3	Day of Death	4		5		6		7	8	9
	10		11		12		13		14	15	16
	17		18		19		20		21	22	23
	24	Full Moon	25		26		27		28	29	30

Reference

People

Places & Locations

History

Consequences

Loot, Purchases and Expenses
Item	Qty	Effects
Purchased
	1	...
Looted
...

Mutations

Charges

Logistics

Buffs & Mil Sci

Long Term

Magic (caster)	Rank	Caster	Effects	Dur	Lath	Kilroy	Starflower	Cher	Bert (Air Elemental Left)	Eernie (Air Elemental Right)
Flying (Air Mage)	20	Lath	Wind picks you up. First time takes 1 min, after takes D +2 pulses to arrive.	10.5 hours	Y		Y	N	NA	NA
Barrier of Wind	21	Lath	Def of 42% in close, melee or ranged.	11 hours	Y			Y	NA	NA
Vapour Breathing	16	Lath	Can breath.	8.5 hours	Y		Y	Y	NA	NA
Feather Falling	9	Lath	Wont fall to your death.	5 hours	Y		Y	Y	NA	NA
Resist Heat & Cold	20	Lath	6 effects better on the weather table and 6 less damage from heat or cold.	21 hours	Y			N	Y	Y
Enchant Armour	23	Zo	+48% Def, +1AP and +23 spell armour	12 hours
Water Proofing	10	Zo	as it says	33 Hours
Mind Shield	8	SF	as stated	27 hours
Mind Speech	12	SF	as stated; planar range via headband	6 1/2 hours
x	x	x	x	x
Walk Unseen	6	Ki	As it says	7 hrs
Water Breathing	6	Ki	As it says	7 hrs
Smite	20	Ki	First strike has additional resist or d+21, stunned and prone	21 hrs		Y	Y	Y
Rune Armour	20	Ki	+25 Def, +5 AP, 2xSG	10.5 hrs		Y	Y	N

Short Term

Magic (caster)	Rk	Caster	Effects	Dur	Erzabet	Captain Zohar	Lath	Starflower	Cher	Bert (Air Elemental Left)	Eernie (Air Elemental Right)
Fast as the Wind	16	Lath	7 to TMR up to 16 total TMR	44 mins	Y		Y	Y	Y	NA	NA
Enhancing Enchantment	14	Lath	+14 ranks on either range, rank or damage.	16 pulses	Y		Y		N	NA	NA
E&E Gen	10	Erszabet	+X to MR vrs E&E Charms	~11 hours	Y		Y		Y	NA	NA
E&E Spe	~11	Erszabet	+X to MR vrs E&E Charms	~12 hours	Y		Y		Y	NA	NA
Celestial Gen	~10	Erszabet		~10 hours	Y		Y			NA	NA
Celestial Spe	~11	Erszabet		~12 hours	Y		Y			NA	NA
Weap of Flames	17	WS	+18 SC , +9 Damage, +17dam Undead etc	22 mins				2		NA	NA
Counters on entities	9	WS	+29 MR vs entire Branch	14 mins						NA	NA
Counters on areas	9	WS	+57 MR vs college	14 mins		Y				NA	NA
Tome of Tales		Erzsabet	+1 step vs fear or awe checks (1 times wp goes to 2 times wp)	24 hours	Y		Y	Y	Y	NA	NA
knights folly		Erszabet	+1 rank milsci	24 hours	Y	Y	Y	Y		NA	NA
hair braiding		Erszabet	+50 vs charm, demon charm, bardic voice. 25 DR from behind, enh dur one spell, +3 ag, +25 seduction	until sunrise	Y		Y	Y	:(	NA	NA
Rose tea		Erszabet	swap 7 stat points from one stat to another		Y		Y			NA	NA

MilSci

Nominations