Episode 6 Part 2 "Bureaucracy in Thrinn"

Session #11: 8/24/2019

8 Torul 2350 of the 5th Age

Recap

 * The session began with the party heading off to their illegal magic weapons deal. Thokk, Vendrin, Lio, and Kandra were leaving from Cresthill Manor, but unbeknownst to them, Zevah was already well on her way.
 * Zevah, accompanied by the party's animal companions, was already hiding aboard the back of the criminal's cart. She told Tennebris, Hermes, and Violet to follow from off the main road. However, only Tennebris obeyed, Violet and Hermes wandered off.
 * Once the rest of the party reached the main gate, they found Hermes and Violet in a standoff with a group of city guardsmen. The party managed to talk them down from a fight and walked away with only a warning to register their exotic animals with the city guard.
 * The criminals and Zevah arrived at the meeting sight beneath the fallen tree first. The Horned Alliance members spread out to wait for their new business associates, while Zevah managed to sneak into the brush and link back up with Tennebris.
 * The rest of the party arrived at the clearing and prepared for a fight. Thokk and Vendrin began into the clearing for their meeting while Liosynth and Violet moved to flank the criminals at the left, while Kandra and Hermes flanked right.
 * Liosynth, however, is not known for her stealthing abilities and found herself tangled in the brambles on the edge of the clearing, clattering to the ground loudly, in her plate mail.
 * Vendrin and Thokk did their best to play Liosynth and her sneaking off as a necessary precaution to doing business, but once the leader saw that she was a paladin all bets were off and a brutal fight ensued.
 * The fight was rough, but the Good Samaritans worked like a well-oiled machine and managed to defeat all of the Horned Alliance members, even keeping the leader and one of his underlings alive.
 * The party interrogated the leader, Raize, a captain in the Horned Alliance. At first, he was resistant to their questions, but when he examined his options and their willingness to let him live, he told them everything he knew.
 * Raize informed the party that Lord Daylen Cresthill of Thrinn has been very busy being very bad, he is stockpiling illegal magic items that pertain to mind control. He is also, against the wishes of most of the city, opening a casino, presumably to launder illicit earnings through. He also informed them that if they wish to publicly injure Cresthill, the man to talk to would be the headmaster of the Thrinn Academy, a man by the name Lewin Macedo. Raize also told them that Cresthill keeps the worst of his magic items in a warehouse in Thrinn, and drew them a map to the warehouse.
 * Raize warned the party that they should probably kill his underling, or he would warn the Horned Alliance, and possibly the city of their actions. Then, without a moments thought, Zevah had Tennebris tear the throat out of the helpless minotaur.
 * The party were true to their word and allowed Raize to live, leaving him in the clearing to be freed when his bindings disintegrated.
 * The party returned to the city and found lodging at the Autumn's Song. Here, they rested, ate, and waited till morning. Thokk also paid for a bath and a shave, ending up smooth as a newborn.
 * In the morning, Kandra and Vendrin headed off to the academy to speak with Lewin Macedo, and because Kandra wanted to inquire about commissioning a magic collar for Hermes.
 * Vendrin and Kandra wandered into an Evocations class at the Academy and Vendrin performed an impromptu demonstration for the initiates.
 * Afterward, the two of them were directed to the office of headmaster Macedo, who, after questioning their intentions, told them that he would aid them in their quest to take down Cresthill. If they find credible proof of Cresthills criminal wrongdoing, he would convene a tribunal to remove him from power so he can be prosecuted.
 * When Macedo questioned Kandra furthur, he discovered that she had tamed a direwolf. This amazed him and he asked if she would agree to guest lecture for the next days Magical Animals class. If she would do this, Macedo would have the enchanting department create a magical collar for him that would allow him to change size to pass more easily in civilization.
 * While Kandra and Vendrin investigated the academy, Thokk and Zevah headed to the hq of the city guard to register Hermes and Tennebris. This involved a demonstration of the animals training and information about its background.
 * Thokk and Hermes went first, Thokk used his ability to speak with animals to convince Hermes to obey in exchange for him receiving a full-grown cow as a meal. Hermes passed with flying colors.
 * Zevah and Tennebris followed after, but during a portion of the test where a cannon fired, Tennebris fled. He did not injure anyone, however, and Zevah was given a temporary pass, and instructions to return in a week to retake the exam.
 * While the rest of the party was out getting into trouble, Liosynth elected to stay in her room and write some letters. But her quiet morning in was interrupted by the appearance of a Deva of Corellon, who appeared and commanded her to save Nedan, though he did not elaborate on what she should save him from.
 * The party met back up at the Autumn's Song and after discussing the events of the morning, left for the warehouse where Cresthill hides his illegal goods.
 * Vendrin and Lio kept watch outside the warehouse while Thokk, Kandra, and Zevah snuck in over the fence, past a handful of lazy and inattentive guardsmen.
 * While keeping watch, it became clear that Lio simply does not know the meaning of low-profile. Rocking her new Armor of the Phoenix and her trademark Crown of Arhaviat, she drew something of a crowd. Much to Vendrins chagrin, Liosynth spent her time preaching the gospel of Corellon.
 * Inside the warehouse, Kandra, Thokk, and Zevah found a hidden room beneath a trapdoor. Inside this room they found crates filled with horrific weapons, potions, and scrolls. All of these items had one thing in common, they all explicitly break minds, and take away free will. And many of the weapons made the party feel sick as soon as they were touched.
 * The party took several items and hid them in Kandra's smuggling coat before opening the final crate.
 * In the final crate, they found a single featureless black box.
 * The party took these items and linked back up with Vendrin and Liosynth, dispersing their crowd and heading back to the inn to discuss their findings.
 * Back at the inn, Vendrin examined the items and told the party what they were one by one. Lastly, he opened the black box to find a deck of cards.
 * Vendrin immediately recognized the Deck of Many Things and left the party, heading for the academy where he commissioned an extradimensional pocket hidden in a wristband. Inside this pocket, he hid the Deck.
 * Thokk took one of the Mind Blades they found and took it to a blacksmith, wrapping the hilt in leather so it would not be sickening to touch. The first blacksmith he went to fell unconscious at a single touch, the second he took it to was a sturdy dwarf, but this dwarf recognized it and extorted 800gp from him to not report the illegal item.