Astvanor Session 185 (5/22)

[cinaed]

Session 185 - Month of Rayalvias (5/22)

When the Hooligans begin to make inroads to speak with Princess Kalia, they learn it will take a certain amount of finagling to meet with her. During the four months, they do other things, separating for their own quests.

Yolov has been dividing his time between helping Professor Daveena and Asa with the soul steel situation and the demiplane and trying to learn what Previdian commoners think of Lord Halcyon.

They do a series of experiments ranging between decently okay to explosively poor. They’re attempting to find a way to Plane Shift in or out of the plane. They should be able to, there is no clear cut reason why it should work. However, when they attempt to Plane Shift, even with all their skills as a wizard, he’s unable to break through what feels like a veneer and barrier, like there’s a membrane of power that’s impenetrable.

It helps him understand that within this demiplane, something has sought to encase what they’ve done within it so that it’s effectively one-way while active, but it’s also impenetrable to similar magic that created it.

They work for weeks on end, until Yolov finds books that claim during the Spring War there were instances in which soldiers were ripped from the plane themself by the beings and encased in some kind of webbing or womb that couldn’t be broken by blade or magic. It seems to be some distant energy from one of the Sunken Ones, and that is what is keeping Yolov from interacting with that plane.

Over the course of the night as he explains to Daveena and Asa what he’s discovered, teaching them these things he’s learned and what they can do, it strikes him that he knows more about this magic than both of them. He’s a higher level wizard than both Professor Daveena and Asa now. He’s been a higher level wizard for a while.

He finds little time to focus on investigating Lord Halcyon’s status within Previdian, too exhausted by his efforts with the soul steel. He asks either people who don’t already know Halcyon is evil or people who are unnerved by his intensity.

Audacity has properly introduced Galowen to the rest of the monastery, both as his qarib al-Ma and his boyfriend. He takes his soul steel piece and takes it to an Asalorian forge to have it changed to a tuning fork for future use. He also takes his formal oath as a paladin to Arayla.

He spends most of his time with Galowen, but also seeks out the Kastvarian prince to find out what the prince needed to ask him. The prince has a series of questions for him about the growing secrecy of the other nations. Everything seems to be growing more insular as the world finds itself under threat. Prince Citrine tells him that in four months time he’ll be attending the birthday celebrations of the princess consort of Previdian, Kalia’s mother. He is the only non-Previdian royal attending and that’s very uncommon.

Prince Citrine floats the idea of Audacity checking things out beforehand and scope out the vibe within Previdian. Why are people not visiting? He’s particularly worried since the princess consort is a Kastvari woman, Meliana, who clings to a lot of traditions from her homeland.

Audacity first gets clarification that all of the other royals were invited but politely declined. He checks that the queen doesn’t have any insight into this either, but she deals with diplomatic things at home. The prince is the ambassador to the rest of the world.

The celebration will be around the same time as the Hooligans getting to visit with Princess Kalia. Audacity gets to Staghart a month beforehand, and learns that the other countries seem to be drawing back away from Previdian, an unconscious understanding of a growing darkness there. He can feel the heaviness to the city itself, both the lower classes suffering the loss of revenue and the upper classes bearing some heaviness.

He travels around to the different embassies, starting with the Kastvari. It’s not hard to speak with the Kastvari embassy, where there’s a general sense of feeling like they’re being pushed out in a way they’re not used to feeling, since the princess consort is Kastvari. They’re getting the cold shoulder. People aren’t taking their meetings. There’s nothing they can do here.

He gets a similar response from representatives from Striog and Avisrune, but when he goes to speak with Valnorian ones, there are none in the city. He tries to get a timeline on when Valnore withdrew from Previdian. He gets a lot of chatter about how this happens whenever Lord Halcyon has the king’s ear, but it’s usually not to this extent.

The High Ambassador left a month and a half ago. There was no real explanation given, but they were recalled back to Valnore on official business and that they regretted cancelling any future meetings. It was a polite but clearly bullshit excuse to leave.

Audacity goes to visit Yesra, who’s much busier now with the economic downturn as people are desperate enough to turn to crime to feed themselves and their families. She confirms that whatever is happening in the capital is rubbing the other countries the wrong way. She doesn’t concern herself with politics, especially since she’s busy with wedding plans with Endive.

He reports back to Prince Citrine and also tells him that he’s learned the Col’Far doesn’t trust Halcyon, and the universal consensus is that Halcyon is whispering in the king’s ear and causing these problems.

When the prince asks Audacity’s opinion on whether he should go or not, Audacity debates. He says as a person he would say no, it’s dangerous, but as a figure of state, he might feel obligated to attend. When he leaves Prince Citrine, the prince is undecided on whether he’ll attend or not.

Az also stays mostly in Staghart. He spends a lot of time with Mixie, spilling his secrets of his warlock patron abilities to her. She hugs and berates him for messing with the Fey before she spends most of the time teaching him how to pick locks and other thief abilities. He also learns of Yesra’s wedding planning and antics, watching the economic downturn in real time.

He’s playing intermediary between the Hooligans and the aristocracy in their quest to speak with Kalia. Even with his connections, however, it takes a long time and he’s passed from one person to another before he receives a letter. It’s very simple, delivered to the door of Yesra’s hideout, with a time and a date and a request to meet. It’s signed by someone called Nicholas.

Diana goes to visit Krystal, who has settled back down in Striog and has opened up a training area, essentially a fantasy gymnasium. They have many comfortable dates and small adventures on Adrin, taking side jobs and small quests. It’s an extremely nice time over those four months, before she has to return to Staghart and Krystal has to return to her training area.

At one point she and Krystal are working with a tabaxi clan and a centaur clan who are in an argument over a missing fishing net. They learn the net was stolen by mermaids, and after negotiating with the mermaid leader to get the net back, they have a beautiful night in the jungle. It’s nice to feel safe.

When she doublebacks through places with Krystal, the people remember her. They stay in one town and rescue a cat, and when they return there, the innkeeper gives them free lodging for rescuing their cat. They solve a kobold problem in another, and the next visit they get arrows and special oils for their weapons.

Hava takes Taion back home to Alu’daar to introduce him to her family and to the island. They also return to Taion’s clan and Hava is formally introduced to his parent. After all that, she also introduces Taion and Kiva to each other, who slowly bond over their mutual love for Hava.

Hava’s mother hates Taion and gets into an argument with Hava over being able to do better. Hava tells her she’s still going to be with him so what’s her mother going to do about it. Her mother grudgingly accepts this. The entire rest of the island loves Taion, especially Luna.

When Hava goes to visit Taion’s family, their parent likes her in spite of themself. Between helping the clan and also saving Taion’s life multiple times, they have to like her. Plus, as Hava tells Taion, she’s a fucking delight.

Galowen takes some time to decompress. He spends almost all of his time in Kastvar because it’s warm and he gets into jousting. Within four months, he’s extremely popular. Any time Audacity comes back to Kastvar, there’s more and more people there to watch Galowen joust. He’s on a nine joust winning streak when he gets the call to return to Staghart. The biggest tournament is happening in about six months. He’s been training up for it, but the betting pools around him are going wild. He has been making a few enemies, there’s a lizardfolk jouster atop a large lizard furious that Galowen is ruining his year of glory.

He’s doing remarkably well. He’s earned over 200 gold from his winnings.

As winter turns to spring again, everyone receives Az’s summons to a meeting with someone called Nicholas. They agree to meet at Yolov and Asa’s the day before they’re set to meet with Nicholas, all except Hava, who is in the middle of something with her respective boyfriends and cannot magically get there in time.

For many, they haven’t seen each other in some time. They catch up and decompress a little with each other. They can rest in Asa and Yolov’s house on a couch and floor space or rent rooms in nearby inns.

They discuss Halcyon before they all go to bed, which is when everyone but Az realizes Asa and Yolov share a bedroom now.

The next day, they meet at the instructed dive bar, which despite the time of night, is very quiet. They check the name of the bar multiple times, studying the broken window that’s clearly been broken for months.

Yolov touches Az and Audacity’s shoulders and casts Enhance Ability, giving them advantage on perceiving their surroundings and insights into people.

When they go inside, there’s only three other customers. One is drinking miserably at the bar. The other two stick out like a sore thumb. The first is one Az recognizes, the wet-looking individual who delivered the message. The other person stands to greet them.

Az asks if they’re speaking with Nicholas, and Nicholas says he is and this must be Azeldonne. He adds that this is Arthur, gesturing to the messenger, and explains that Arthur chose the location.

Nicholas locates the least disgusting table, which is cracked in the middle and extremely sticky. Nicholas casts Prestidigitation on the table, earning Yolov’s extreme relief and Galowen’s frustration. As the conversation begins, Galowen takes out his old chutney and smears a little on the table to get it sticky again.

Nicholas knows what his boss told him: there are two sets of guards around the princess, human and automated. The humans are currently withdrawn to escort Lord Halcyon to buy a birthday gift for the princess consort, so there’s only automated guards. He also knows that Halcyon is Princess Kalia’s biological father but that she is not in her father’s good graces. She’s currently confined within her quarters. She’s forbidden from contacting anyone.

Nicholas’ boss has a soft heart for the princess and has sent him here.

Nicholas turns to the group at large and asks if they’re well acquainted with subterfuge. If they’re terrible at stealth, then he needs to know. Diana says that’s what that means, and Az says some are better than others.

When Nicholas explains about the automated guards, Yolov says that they all have the ability to become invisible, which Nicholas says dryly is very impressive. Az also says he has the ability to disguise himself at will and has limited access to Polymorph.

Galowen asks Az how he has access to that and Az says none of his business.

Nicholas believes Halcyon will return early the next morning, since it’s unclear where he’s going, though he’s leaving the city. It’s six in the evening, so the princess is still eating alone in her room.

Audacity asks what Nicholas’ interest is in getting them to see Kalia. Nicholas says that his employer has a soft spot for the princess, looking pained at having to call the person that. He very clearly is gritting his teeth through saying the word employer, not out of disdain for the person but out of knowing his employer would never let him live it down.

Nicholas says he’s technically an advisor to the king. Arthur coughs beside him. He says he did say technically and he has spoken to the king on occasion. Arthur says he has listened to him, and Nicholas says as much as he listened to his uncle. He says he does work with supplying armor for the royal guards, which is a job in the family. But this is far more interesting and far more important. He’s happy to do it at the behest of his other employer. He cares very much about the princess’ well-being and is interested in seeing how it turns out.

Az asks what happens if they get caught, Nicholas says he’ll be incredibly fired by the king and his father will be incredibly disappointed. Az says his other employer wouldn’t be able to do something. Nicholas says he would try.

Nicholas summons through Minor Illusion a small visual of the palace. He knows of a potential entryway that was forgotten that only he and his employer knows. They’ve used it a handful of times, though it’s getting harder since it’s in the princess’ wing. But this is the time to use it despite the risk.

He says they should reasonably access it there, though they should hold off on Invisibility until the last moment. He doesn’t have the spell himself but he’s also allowed to be in the palace. He asks if the group needs to prepare themselves, buy potions or whatever adventurers need.

The group says no, though Yolov does clarify that there’s no chance of Kalia’s mother or brother visiting her.

Nicholas assures him there’s not, though his employer did cryptically warn them not to touch anything blue. A few of the Hooligans immediately poke Yolov, making Nicholas sigh and say he’s certain that touching their friend is fine, he’s not part of the palace.

Az says that Nicholas has now speed-run meeting the Hooligans, which dismays Nicholas in that he thought the name had been his employer giving them shit. As Nicholas and Audacity both notice the chutney, Nicholas magics it away and then leads them all into the palace.

When Nicholas leads them quietly and carefully to the hidden entry, the hallway gives off the air of a place where someone has been hiding in the walls. Nicholas fetches a very nice looking bow, Arthur excuses himself to sit there and guard the door, being not one for subterfuge.

Nicholas thanks him for the assistance and Arthur says it’s always been a pleasure to serve the family.

None of them have been in the private quarters of royalty, but it’s dark and gloomy and cold. They’re led quietly through the halls, pausing every once in a while when some guard or another passes by. For the moment they are not invisible.

Even Nicholas hasn’t been here, since he has no reason to be here. He knows the princess doesn’t even know he exists. He’s been trying to keep it that way, but his employer insisted. It’s going to complicate his life.

The princess is rarely ever here.

Yolov gets a faint prickle in the back of his mind of some strange arcane magic. It’s raw, like they’re approaching a live wire as they reach the spiraling staircase that leads to the hallway that leads to the princess’ bedroom. There’s a single doorway, with multiple chains and barriers. There are small alcoves that hold chairs and gauzy tapestries and where there was once a rug, but there’s a difference in stone slate floor where it was and wasn’t.

They can all see quite clearly two things: why the rug was removed and why the employer said not to touch anything blue. There are four automatons before them, each with crackling blue auras lashing out within a ten foot aura as they move; lightning bolts like trip wires; and three distinct blue pools.

Yolov realizes that getting within the auras will trigger an alarm. The pools also have some sort of teleportation magic, though he can’t tell where people would be moved. He also realizes the pools will also move like the automatons. The trip wires will either slow people down or hurt them. This isn’t meant to keep someone out, but to keep Kalia in.

When he explains, Audacity suggests they watch for a moment. They realize that when the automatons go into the alcoves, they have to do a turn around the room and it slows them down.

Yolov also asks Nicholas if he has any way to help them be more subtle like a spell like Silence since Knock is extremely loud. Nicholas says he doesn’t have a spell like that, but he can cast a spell to mute all magic within ten feet of him to make it easier to pick the locks at the door.

The group discusses rescuing Princess Kalia, and Nicholas says that wasn’t part of the plan.

Yolov, looking angry, Dimension Doors himself and Galowen to the door. He begins to examine the locks. They’re complicated arcane locks meant to keep the princess inside, as are the stone barricades. It looks like these locks haven’t been touched in months. There’s dust on them, which begs the question of how she’s being fed.

Behind them, the pools move. One hits an automaton and teleports it a few feet away.

Nicholas holds his spell, considering what his employer knows about Princess Kalia’s situation. He does know this isn’t how he was promised the night would go. He was promised an easy night. He mutters “bastard” under his breath as he grabs Az’s arm.

Galowen surveys the room. He reaches out with his Divine Sense. There are no undead or fiends, but he gets a distinct feeling through his paladin senses and awareness of these unholy aberrant things. The magic that seeps through these things is deeply aberrant.

Audacity walks up the wall and onto the ceiling, dashing all the way to join Galowen and Yolov as Diana casts Fly on herself and flies above the automatons to reach them as well.

Az casts Dimension Door on himself and Nicholas to get them to the door as well. As soon as they do, Nicholas casts Antimagic Field. The locks are now mundane, as are the pillars. Yolov endures feeling magic vanish around him as Diana helps Galowen begin to lift away the three pillars and Az attempts to pick the locks.

Galowen lifts away the first pillar as Az manages to get the first of three locks undone. As Galowen struggles with the second pillar, Yolov and Galowen both make out the sounds of quiet footsteps.

Someone is coming. They don’t know how far or how long, but they have probably less than two minutes.

Galowen moves the second pillar as Audacity tells Az to breathe and focus. Az realizes he doesn’t need a magical lockpick to be good at this as he gets the second of the three locks. Galowen gets the third pillar effortlessly, knocking into the third lock and damaging it. Then he reaches around Az and breaks the final lock.

The door swings open.

Nicholas immediately turns and keeps an eye on the end of the hallway for the approaching footsteps.

When the others look into the room, it’s a place seemingly abandoned to the elements. There is overturned furniture. The mattress has been torn apart like gore. Clothing is ripped apart and left in piles. There are plates that have been piled by the door. There are water skeins.

For a moment they think they’ve been tricked and there’s nothing here.

But curled up in the middle of the destruction and now rising to her feet is Princess Kalia. Or at least some iteration of her. Her hair is long and stringy and tangled. Her face bears a handful of scars that she didn’t have before. Her nose is crooked as though it was broken and not quite set properly. She doesn’t look quite emaciated, but she’s far thinner than before.

She curls in on herself, looking at all of them, and asks, “What are you doing here?”

Audacity bows.

Kalia asks if he thinks that’s funny.

Audacity says they’re here to assist her.

Kalia believes this is a trick from her father. Even when the party tries to tell her otherwise, she refuses to leave, claiming she cannot hide from him, he’ll find her no matter where she goes and bring her back to this. No one cares about her anyway. She recognizes Nicholas and asks why he’s come here.

Nicholas tells her that her brother is worried about her and that her brother enlisted him to get these people into the palace to speak with her.

Kalia laughs at that and says if her brother wants to die there are easier ways.

The entire time they’ve been having their back and forth, Yolov has been frantically chalking out a teleportation circle to Refuge next to Kalia’s feet. He tells her that they can get her somewhere safe, and she doesn’t believe him, refusing to move even as the teleportation circle glows.

Galowen pushes her into the circle and everyone else steps into it as well until it’s only Nicholas left.

He looks and sees Halcyon step into the hallway. He groans at how fired he is before he also steps into the portal and arrives in Refuge with the others.