Session 12 Prep

Above Table

Anything above table that needs to be discussed before session.

Welcome back Em and Aaron!
Think about lunch so we can schedule it in
This session might end up a little more railroaded than the other ones - will depends on the pacing and time remaining.
Rip a page out of note book and write a note from Garrhys about The Dealt Hand.

Plot Points

List of Plot Points that might be involved or branched from…

Review

Two or three paragraphs summarizing the events of the previous session. Be Succinct.

Last we left off… you all made your way out of The Sanguine Script and headed for your abode to rest, but before you could you were ambushed by some bandits. Upon defeating these bandits - you found a letter, a dagger, and an ornate coin in their possession. From the letter, you learned about a location called The Dealt Hand and an entity known as the Monarch Of Madness. You planned to deal with this new information in the morning and continued home to rest

The next day came with gloomy weather and a general slow vibe to the city of Roan - where you each made your way to The Witch’s Wardrobe to speak with Cynthia about these new threads of information to no avail. She advised you might be better of speaking with someone who more directly handles their dirty work.

So you all headed to The Rowdy Roan to once again speak with Grez Klimmet about The Dealt Hand and the Monarch Of Madness - with regards to the threat he’d received a few weeks earlier. After some convincing; Grez Klimmet revealed what he knew about The Dealt Hand; an underground casino in The Ratways, and explained to you all the two ways to gain entrance. Those being to buy your way in OR to position yourself as employees of a member, usually done by presenting a special symbol of an employer within the Casino.

Grez Klimmet wasn’t comfortable revealing anymore information about his experience with The Dealt Hand and wasn’t able to tell you specifically were it was located.

Bridge

The initial event or situation to connect last session to this one.

And that’s where we’ll pick up from…

Re-Familiarize

Get them back into the world. Set the scene vividly and make it feel real.

The current day is the 14th of Vaelorn, 920 PD and it is quite gloomy outside.
You are all located in the comfortable but crowded pub known as The Rowdy Roan.

Immediate Event

The immediate action for the Party to deal with.

Discussions In The Rowdy Roan

HAVE EVERYONE AT THE PUB ROLL A D20 - lowest roll is contacted by Cynthia

The party need a moment to discuss all the threads in front of them - give them that time and jostle their memory if need be.
Eventually kinda railroad them towards The Ratways if need be. (You were told that The Dealt Hand was in The Ratways)
Ask them all to make a perception check on their way out (DC13)
- Anyone who succeeds gets an odd sense that they’re being followed - but they can’t see anything.

Forwards

Possible paths forward - plan for a handful of scenarios

The Ratways

The Ratways are even shittier when it’s gloomy weather - there’s dirt and mud all over the cobble roads and everyone seems to be doing their best to find dry and clean shelter.
The look clearly out of place.
Give them 2-5 minutes to look around and try stuff - wing this
Eventually have one OR all of them turn down an alley with a dead end. Ask each of them to roll a perception check once again (DC11) - they’ll hear footsteps approach them from behind as a long shadow is cast down the alleyway.
If any of them turn around - they’ll see a single figure wearing dark black leather armour with feathers and a long cloak approaching them.
Before any of them can act; the figure will raise their hand and their visage will shift - revealing a new figure instead…

Enter Somnus

Ask Aaron to describe his character for the rest of the table

Give Somnus some spotlight whilst guiding the party out of The Ratways with the message from Cynthia

Cynthia’s Reveal

“Oh hello again - I know you were just here a moment ago but I’ve got something I think you’d all be interested in seeing.”
- Cynthia’s message

She admits she had hidden a truth from them
She prefaces her reveal with the knowledge that she knew it would likely be important and wasn’t sure at the time who she could trust, both amongst the party and the authorities. She now feels safe enough to trust them with the truth.
She noticed Lady’s bracers react abnormally when she died and took them - hoping they could provide answers about Lady’s past or the reason for her assassination.
She will pause to let them speak amongst yourself.
She will reach under her desk and pull out a locked vault - waving her hands in a specific pattern to unlock it, before reaching into it and pulling out the bracers.

“I’m sorry for keeping this from you. I had to be sure I could trust each of you before I revealed what I believed could provide critical insights in her passing.

I don’t really understand the magic used - it’s not my domain after all - but I can see that the bracers have responded the elemental power of fire. It’s only a guess but introducing it to the 3 other elements could prove useful.

I wanted to wait to show you this before I progressed any further with my research, or I can leave it with you all to finish what I’ve started.”
- Cynthia

If Somnus tries to consult with The Fate-Cloaked Maiden about the bracers - they will get the sense that the maiden wished not to be asked that question; as she herself doesn’t understand the magic either. In a sense - it’s like the Magic used predates her.

Lady Interlude

Lady; You are floating in a white liminal space and you feel yourself fading in and out of consciousness. You feel yourself sharing the space with another presence - one that is simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar. You cannot move despite your most vigorous attempts - and you realise you are bound around the waist by 3 different coloured ethereal tethers.

Ignis Snowblood’s Bracers

Respond to each of the four elements wielded by the Snowbloods. They have already responded to Fire. Each element wielded in their proximity reveals a new word:
- Fire == Ignis == Fire Damage
- Earth == Terra == Thunder Damage
- Water == Aqua == Cold Damage
- Air == Aer == Lightning Damage

With each element applied; a small scene will happen where Lady - floating in a liminal space - will feel one another presence arrive before a corresponding tether is removed.

Revealing all four words will cause a faint white light to consume the bracers. The holder will get the sense that in time of need; if held by the right person, the bracers will be useful. Lady will feel her movement return after all four tethers are released but the presences will remain frozen.

Informant’s Note

Cynthia will bid them goodbye after handing them a note from their informant.

Back To The Ratways

Dealt Hand. RATWAYS, NE. Run-down building.

The casino will LIFT your spirits.

G

Back To The Ratways

This is a largely open ended section - let them solve this part how they come up with

Eventually give them a perception check. Flat DC of 20 minus 1 for each successful roll they made up to this point.

The Dealt Hand

There’s a building in the far Northwest of The Ratways that looks very run down - but upon entering - it’s clearly a front for a large mechanical lift.

Entrance

Purple velvet lines the floors and walls with dark granite tiles framing doorways and steps.
The lobby is busy but they are seen quickly by a Drow woman and Hobgoblin male - wearing white masks that cover half their faces.
Entrance can be purchased as a one-off or lifetime OR can be gained through contracts for work. You have to show the item of the member you work for to get in though.
They do check appearances - you have to look like the description given even if you have the right item.

Inside

The bar is run by a Red Dragonborn named Temed - serves fancy drinks but you have to pay in chips. 2 gold per chip.
- Simple wines - 1 chip
- Classy drinks - 3 chips
- Bottles - 5 chips
- Ale & Mead - 1 chip
They are told the contractors are on the upper floor - up to them if they want to try deceive for more information or not
They can meet an Half-Elf woman named Elain who lets them know they stand out like a sore thumb.
BLUE can be found here after the party arrived - having copied SHAI’s appearance to weasel his way in. He now looks like Kawhi Leonard but wearing mages robes.
- He will hurt his knee walking away from a conversation.

Information:

Temed -> The party can learn that Grez Klimmet; under a pseudonym, took out a substantial loan 5 years ago to fix up The Rowdy Roan and never paid it back - explaining why they targeted him. The missing bar staff are somewhere in The Ratways and he feels bad for them but can’t risk his position to find/help them.
Elain -> Roan’s a lot less civilized than those in power think it is. Something serious is going on even deeper underground. She’s looking for an exit before things get too bad.
BLUE ->
- Will admit to SHAI that he’s concerned the higher ups are losing their touch with the stars. Confides he overhead a conversation that they think an external presence is exploiting the very fabric of the universe and changing the alignment for nefarious purposes.
- Admits it’s making him question the ascension entirely - but if SHAI is too eager to jump on it he’ll dismiss it as just nerves.

Halfling Male

They will notice a halfling male wearing a grey cloak walking around and they chose to tail him if they want. He’ll lead them to another building on the Southern edge of The Ratways

COMBAT

Either they will be ambushed after tailing the Halfling male OR by making a scene in The Dealt Hand. Either way - Ignis Snowblood ‘s Bracers will glow much more strongly and as a free action - can be used to restore Lady’s life.

Wing this combat if they get here - Crime Boss + Deceiver + Captain + Two Bandit

Crime Lord	Deceiver	Thief	Captain

Beating this combat will award them:

Signet ring with a crown in the shape of a large, evil grin.
An amulet of rapid repelling - once per long rest they can cast the shield spell as a reaction even if they don’t have it equipped.
A small journal written in Halfling that details the motivations and day to day internal conflicts of the cloaked Halfling man.
- Want to save his Sister, is worried what Plight is going to do to her
- Hates himself for what he’s condemned the poor bar staff to but has to do it to help her and himself.
- Considered ending it all when he heard a Halfling woman arrived in town and had a coma the other day.