Episode 1 "Unwelcome Home"

Session #30: 2/2/2020

1st of Dalian 2350 of the 5th Age

Recap

 * The session began as the party arrived off the coast of Stormwall on the island of Aldar, the capitol of the Romalian Empire.
 * Stormwall rose before them, a massive city fully covering the mountain before them and sprawling down into the surrounding region.
 * Aware that Vendrin had told Ireburn they were coming, the party decided to leave the Kingmaker hidden off the coast and have the Red Lion drop them off, hoping to keep their arrival under wraps for the time being.
 * The party made landfall and bribed the dockmaster to keep his mouth shut about their arrival.
 * The party had been contacted by a man who works for Vendrin's father. A man called Torvald, he told them to meet him at the Bloodied Bard, a tavern in the southern sprawl.
 * Vendrin had never before been to the slums that make up the sprawl and so the party had difficulty finding their way at first, but were ultimately given directions by a minotaur at Horns Tavern.
 * At this tavern, Kandra attempted to card shark a group of mercenaries, but accidentally played too well and was told to leave with her winnings.
 * Arriving at the inn, they purchased a couple of rooms upstairs and waited till morning.
 * The next morning, the party decided to scope out the city.
 * Vendrin also sent a message to Torvald, asking him to meet them at the Bloodied Bard that evening.
 * The party split up and discovered several interesting things:
 * Investigating the Slope wall that divides the Sprawl from the more middle class Slope district, they discovered that Imperial Guardsmen accompanied by wizards were conducting checks of every single person to pass through the wall, possibly dispelling illusions. Whether this is for them specifically or general security for the upcoming coronation, is not known.
 * Papers are required to enter the Slope at all.
 * All over the Sprawl, people are wearing pins with intricate Ds on them. The party learned that Vendrin's father, Arthur Daltumel, has come to be known as the Savior of the Sprawl, one of the few in the Imperial Senate who cares for the unfortunate.
 * Deadman and Kandra managed to make contact with the head of the local chapter of the local chapter of the Horned Alliance, Alistar Zemni, and managed to secure false papers to get them through the wall. In doing so, they kept their identities as the Good Samaritans secret.
 * Returning back to the Bloodied Bard, the party met with Torvald.
 * Initially very suspicious of the shady individual, the party decided they needed to ensure he was telling the truth, though strangely, Torvald was more than happy to submit to the Zone of Truth spell from Liosynth, purposefully failing his save against it.
 * Torvald had come to work for Vendrin's father when Arthur decided he needed someone on the ground who knew the Sprawl. He had spent the last several months working closely along Arthur and protecting him from those who are unhappy with his benevolent workings, as well as arranging things to help along Arthurs plans. Torvald has become Arthurs right hand, and genuinely seems to like him.
 * After coming to trust that Torvald was telling the truth, the group set about gaining information about the state of the city, the state of Ireburn, and the kingdom. They began scheming how they would save Florence and bring down Ireburn.