MMC Summary: Session 31 - "Thank You For Being Mine"

Present Party: Keviks, Lupan, Nana, and Wren

Setting: The small island town of Aincour, Midtia.

Our party finally made it to the island town of Aincour. Before they left the ship, however, they made sure to leave the Admiral with their list of suspicious persons, and they received some advice from Rome.

Rome told them that if they really wanted to know what the Midtian Riot Guard knew about Erdia, that they should seek out "Oli Pembrooke." He lived in town, and he was Rome's boss. If they tell him that Rome sent them, he would tell them what he knew, at the very least.

Their people of interest were:

- The tabaxi child known as "Seven" who Rome had been following for the past few years, and been suspecting him of espionage.

- The two kids who had been seen with him.

- Lieutenant Lysander Soriena, for the fact that the notes being passed by the cabin boys seemed to be going to him.

- The ship's head mage, believing that he may have been spying on the party while onboard.

Lt. Lysander Soriena of the
Midtian Navy
Wood Elf, age 102 (physical
age 18)
(Art by @Sonnet_Form
on Twitter)

The detainment of Soriena, the party quickly realized, would be an awkward situation, given that they were meant to stay at his family's home during their Selection quest in the town.

Lupan, however, was not very concerned about that. Ever since they'd docked, there had been something - something like silver bells - ringing in the back of his mind. He was eager to explore, and Wren, Castilian, and Prince Fang were willing to accompany him.

On the way, further into town, Wren's eye caught an interesting place that was nearly like a bakery. However, its best-selling item actually appeared to be its coffee. She and Fang took a detour inside while Lupan continued forward.

From one of the patrons, she'd learned that this was the place to be for debates, discussions, and nearly anything about anything. "One of Aincour's favorite past-times is talking," he told her. He even pointed her in the direction of the central plaza, where a public debate would be starting soon. Flight of the Blue Jay - a tabaxi son of a noble from Aincour that the party had met briefly in Lanti - was one of the participants.

"What's the topic?" Wren asked.

"Whether or not the Midtian monarchy should be abolished."

Crown Prince Steel "Fang"
of the Mountain
Tabaxi, age 18
(Custom Art by
@WtfdoIdraw on Twitter)

Wren cast a brief glance at Fang, who simply covered the royal signet ring on his right hand. They didn't stay much longer, but when they left, Wren made sure Fang was okay.

"I'm alright," he assured her. "It's... jarring to hear someone say that to my face. I know that... Jay's family specifically has actually written a lot of essays on the abolishment of the monarchy. It's one of the biggest reasons they're not so well-liked in higher circles. But Midtia has free speech to an extent, and what the Flight family writes isn't a call to violence or inciting violence anywhere so it's not against the law."

The two of them considered heading to the plaza to watch the debate.

~~~~~

Lupan, though, had beaten them there. There was a central fountain in this plaza with a stage in front of it, and benches placed so people could watch. On the stage was a large chalk board easel with a list of event dates and times written on it. To the side of the stage, a large crowd had gathered to watch some kind of musical street performance.

The bells in his mind were louder now. Lupan scanned the plaza until his eyes finally settled on a large purple tent, the entrance tucked into an alley of some kind. The bells stopped. He took a few tentative steps towards it. Close enough to peer inside, he could see people walking inside it, dressed in fine clothing. He entered, and began to peruse, despite looking incredibly out of place. The banner hanging across the tent read: "Cazzar's Exotic Art & Artifacts."

As he moved through, he started to notice things that he recognized: totems and spears that almost certainly came from his tribe. His people wouldn't have given them up so easily. Then... he found something else. It was written on animal skin, in Sylvan. And, admittedly, if someone didn't know Sylvan or how the language was structured... this might have looked like art. But it wasn't. It was a note:

Family,

If you’re reading this, it means I’ve returned to our home of Alfheim or I have joined the heroes of Valhalla. I watch all of you now, from a place far better but also far more lonely because I have none of you with me.

I hope I will have none of you with me for a very long time. War may be our greatest tradition, but I think it is also our greatest tragedy. It takes husbands, fathers, and sons from their wives, mothers, and daughters. Thinking about it now, no man should ever want to sit and write something like this to those that he loves. I see why many men don’t; it’s painful. It’s very painful to sit and know that your life might end in blood, and not in the arms of those you love. Honorable for it to end in blood, perhaps, but I know I would much rather die holding the three of you.

My darling wife, I will miss your voice and the way it told our children the stories of the wind and trees. I will miss the way you sing, but even from where I am, I will try to hear it. I will miss your wisdom, the same wisdom I have seen in the eyes of our son. I will miss your compassion, and the calm that washed over me when we spoke. Our children are grown now, but tell them all you can about me. Let them learn to love your voice as I have. They already adore your stories.

My sweetest daughter, my little sprout, you have all the grace of your mother and all the spirit of your father at that age, I swear it. What a beautiful woman you will become, a stronger shaman than even your mother with a deeper connection to our home and fey friends than anyone I’ve seen. I’m sorry if I was never around enough. I’m sorry if you ever found me too stern. I’m sorry our tribe separates men and women as they do sometimes, because it means I have a duty to your brother more than I have to you. I never thought that was very fair. Know that despite the fact that I’m gone, my spirit will be one of many that guides you to greatness. I’m sure that if you listen closely to those spirits, you’ll hear my voice among them. I’ll be the one chanting louder than all the rest.

My beloved son, I’ve saved you until last because I fear your reaction when you read this. You are so very strong, but you wear your heart on your sleeve and you’ve inherited my terrible temper. Worse, I fear that you may never read this because perhaps I will have gotten my wish and died in the arms of someone I loved as he lay dying too. My worst fear is that you will never read this because I will be one of the many fathers of our tribe who has outlived his son, and I will have to write this all over again. War is, indeed, our greatest tragedy. My biggest regret with you is that I never expressed how proud of you I truly am. I have told you when I have been proud of you, but I often find that I want to say more than that and I don’t know how. I could only watch you as you grew. You approached the world with all of my bravery, and all of your mother’s heart. I hope you never lose that. I never want to see you lose that.

My family, you were everything I could have ever wanted.

Thank you for making every moment of my life - a life filled with bloodshed and violence - worth living. 

Thank you for being the peace that I needed.

Thank you for being mine.

It wasn't signed. It wasn't dated. Lupan's tribe was largely based in oral traditions; writing was not common. There were no names mentioned... but Lupan knew who had written it. Lupan had never seen his father's handwriting, but he knew his father's voice too well not to hear it in these words. A small tag had been added to the item. It read: "20,000 GP." It was locked behind a glass case.

Melinda Becker
Half Elf, Former Copper
Dragon God
(Art by lavellanlove on
Tumblr)

Lupan sank to his knees, and cried, wondering how in the world this could have gotten here. He stayed there, drawing some attention. One person approached him, and sat beside him, wearing a dress unlike any he'd seen at home or in Midtia.

She introduced herself as Melinda, and she comforted him as best as she could. She claimed to have been here for the music outside, but decided to peek in here and noticed him. She knew him, and when Lupan explained to her what was going on, she told him, "I think someone outside might be able to help you."

"I'm two seconds away from breaking apart this case."

"And you'll get the guards called on you. Trust me. She'll help."

The two of them went out to the concert, which had caught Wren and Fang's attention as well, once they'd moved on from the coffee shop. All of them quickly realized that this was no ordinary concert. A tiefling girl was performing, and dancing with her was Quest Carron, the party's copper dragon demigod.

Celanwe
Wood Elf, Former Copper
Dragon God
(Art by Merwild on Tumblr)

They were also formally introduced to someone Nana had met through the Divination spell: Celanwe - the copper dragon before Quest. All of the former copper dragons had gathered here because Quest was performing, and by performing, he'd be able to figure out where he was meant to go to transcend.

Wren and Fang were filled in on the situation with Lupan, and determined to help him get back what was rightfully his.

~~~~~

Nana, over the course of their journey on the sea, had managed to procure and slightly modify a firearm. Admiral Cromdor had been very hesitant about letting her have one. Midtian law required that any firearm holders were required to have a license, and getting a license required training. Luckily, the naval base in Aincour did have a program. Nana and Keviks, both very interested, went to the base. A former adventurer - one Peyton DiAngelo - was their private teacher, for a little extra coin. They'd likely find themselves proficient in firearms by the end of the week.

Myren
Human, First Copper
Dragon God
(Art by slugette on Tumblr)

They went off to go and find the others in the plaza, where they were also made aware of the shenanigans that the spirits of the copper dragons were up to. Myren, the first copper dragon god, also made an appearance.

Between these three former gods, they learned that the tiefling girl was who Melinda had been referring to. She had knowledge and skills that the party may find helpful in performing an art heist. They enjoyed the music and kept Lupan from exploding with impatience and a need to get the note back immediately.

Dragon Lancer: Quest Carron
Tiefling, College of Satire Bard
Copper Dragon Demigod
(Art by @guttertongue
on Twitter)

When the performance was over, the former dragons disappeared. The party also needed to talk to Quest about what had occurred in Kystad, regarding the death of Riot Guard Captain Eli Hawks. The tiefling girl offered to get everyone coffee while they talked. Quest opened a portal into his hoard while she was gone, and gave the party a status report:

- Captain Hawks had been acting strangely around Axel (the silver dragon demigod, who was sent to protect the royal family), especially now that Axel was getting comfortable around the palace, posing as the young princes' substitute teacher while Nana was away.

- One day, Axel was alone in a hallway with the captain. He could have sworn that the two of them were going to fight when one of the windows was broken in by what Axel assumed to be an aasimar. He appeared human, but had large, black avian wings. He grabbed Hawks, flew back out, and then the window was unbroken. As though nothing had happened. None of the guards nearby had heard anything either.

- Axel contacted Quest, who left Lanti immediately, and went to Kystad to help look for Captain Hawks and discover what happened to him. They searched everywhere - his office, his home, and even some secret areas in the palace and in the city that they knew were there from their days as Dragon Lancers. They could not find him.

- Then, suddenly he turned up again... in pieces, in his office. They reported their findings to the king.

- They were also made aware of the fact that Spymaster Ego was on his way back to Kystad from wherever he was for Hawks's funeral. He would be there from the 4th to the 6th, which was 2 days from now.

Nana sent a brief message to Hugo, asking if this was his doing. He claimed he had an associate fitting the description given, and the party assumed this was part of Hugo's prior agreement. He was finally attempting to take care of Eli and Ego - the two biggest known threats to the crown in the capital city - as he'd promised. Although, it was concerning to know that he had what appeared to be an Angel of Death (essentially) on his side.

Radiance
Tiefling Trickery Cleric of
the Copper Dragon God
(Art by June Jenssen on
ArtStation)

They left Quest's hoard, and went back into the street, where they met Radiance, the tiefling performer. She was also a cleric from the kingdom of Medego, and her god was Myren, the Copper Dragon. Suddenly, things made far more sense. She was aware that Quest was at least related to her god in some way, but that was all.

When they told her of the situation, and were informed that she could help them, she was more than willing to assist in a heist. It was Wren's idea to pose as a curator of fine art, and offer something in trade. Nana suggested some fine clothing; she had a spell and the necessary tools to make something like that. Radiance knew that the value of certain sarees (a women's clothing item from her country, far to the south) could be very high. She described something a royal concubine might wear, and Nana was able to make it. Lupan and Keviks would come along with Wren as bodyguards to help sell the charade of her being an important art collector. They retrieved some better clothing for themselves as well.

Wren, Lupan, and Keviks entered the tent again, and perused a bit before they were approached by a portly tiefling gentleman, who had a pompous air about him. They showed him the saree, and offered it in exchange for Lupan's note. With some lucky deception checks, Wren was able to procure it without nearly any trouble.

When they were outside again, away from the tent, Lupan looked at it again and held it close to his chest. Radiance asked to see it for just a moment, and cast what seemed to be a form of Mending. The corners of the note were less torn. The skin itself wasn't as wrinkled, and the writing was bolder and easier to read. He looked at the party, teary-eyed, and unable to say much other than: "Thank you..."

Lupan had found what The Summer Queen has asked him to: something he'd know when he saw, and that rightfully belonged to him.

~~~~~

ART LINKS:

https://twitter.com/Sonnet_form/status/1074747966949224448

https://twitter.com/wtfdoidraw

https://lavellanlove.tumblr.com/image/171542079156

https://merwild.tumblr.com/

https://slugette.tumblr.com/post/142286067190/edmond-trevelyan-a-kinda-sketchy-portrait-that

https://twitter.com/guttertongue/status/1045505333265924097

https://junejenssen.artstation.com/projects/KaLZoy

MMC Summary: Session 30 - The Prince of the Sea

Present Party: Keviks, Lupan, Nana, and Wren.

Setting: The Xandan Sea, aboard the Midtian Navy's flagship: Idredia. The party is on their way to the island town of Aincour.

With Admiral Cromdor's assurance that the shifty tabaxi cabin boy was new to being directly under his command, the party grew more anxious. The admiral quickly produced the boy's file. His name was Seven Mice in the Wall - or more succinctly: Seven. He was ten years old. The party knew, because of Keviks and his backstory, that Erdia frequently made use of child soldiers. They also worried he wasn't a child at all; the look that Keviks described wasn't childlike.

Cromdor suggested that the party find another cabin boy - a special case, he called him, who the admiral fully trusted. His name was Rome, and he's an elf. He knew everything that was going on with those boys. Nana, Lupan, and Wren went to look for him. Keviks, Castilian, and Fang decided that they would keep eyes on the kids and note passing, just to see if anything changed.

Rome
Archfey Warlock of Lady
Sunshine, member of the
Midtian Riot Guard
(Art by Skunkyfly on
DeviantArt)

They found Rome tucked away in the corner of a lower deck, untangling rope, and recognized him immediately. When they were boarding the ship, one of the cabin boys had bumped into Fang and apologized, and this was that cabin boy. He looked to be around twelve or thirteen years old. He knew all of their names as well, right away.

When the party implied that he was in charge of the cabin boys, Rome insisted he wasn't. He just... knew a lot of things. In order to tell them what he knew, Rome had to explain why he was on the ship to begin with. Rome was in the navy, but he's also "an adventurer" and one with a mutual friend of the party's: Alaion, the former Erdian soldier turned spy for the Selection Party. They had reason to assume then that he, much like Alaion had been, was a member of the Midtian Riot Guard - a secretive order of adventurers that operated to keep Midtia safe. Rome even claimed to have trained Alaion. Right now, he was working for someone named "Pembrooke," who lived in Aincour and was also an "adventurer."

Rome had joined the navy two years ago, at the behest of Pembrooke, who was afraid that Erdian spies were infiltrating the kingdom. He'd been suspecting this for nearly a decade. Rome had actually been trailing Seven as a potential spy for the two years he'd been in the navy. Then, Alaion came to him and asked him to protect the party. Luckily, both Seven and the Selection Party were on the same ship. The admiral knew of Rome's identity, but not his mission; he was not allowed to ask.

When he was made aware of the notes, Rome sent a small ball of golden light with butterfly wings to inspect the children's things. If there were notes stashed anywhere, it would be with them. He also admitted that bumping into Fang had not been a ruse. He put a protection charm on him, and asked that the party not tell the prince. Now that they knew who he was, he didn't need more people knowing. He was a spy, after all. His job worked better when people didn't know that he was present.

Nana asked him, "Are you aware of another ship circling Jarna and Aincour that's flying the Erdian colors?"

Rome blanched and then sighed, putting his head in his hands. "Nope... That's... That is very not good. Especially considering that Saspar hates Erdia. They wouldn't just let an Erdian ship circle their capital city."

That was definitely very concerning.

Rome also mentioned to Lupan, "By the way, I just wanted to let you know, your sister says hello, and she loves you."

Lupan was shocked. "How do you know my sister?"

Rome offered for Lupan to sit across from him as he explained, "Your tribe has a very strong connection with the fey. So do I. I have my boss, Pembrooke, but I also have... another boss. And it is her job to bring people joy. She noticed that... your sister was grieving for you recently. She was upset, so my lady brought us together in the Dream Realm so I could help her. I do this a lot, it's very normal for me. I knew who you were at the time, but I... didn't say anything because it's not really my place to do that."

"Is she doing well?" Lupan asked. "And what about my mother?"

"Well, she seemed to be doing better after I spoke to her. And I don't really know about your mother. We didn't talk about her; we talked about you. Or more... she talked and I listened." He smiled. "Your sister is also in a unique position. She's being contacted by many creatures as she grows in power."

"Creatures?"

"Yes. Like my lady. They all want her."

"For what purpose?"

"The same purpose my lady has me for," Rome declared. "I'm a warlock. And they want her to be one too. She grows stronger and stronger every day." Rome extended his hands to Lupan. "Here."

When Lupan took Rome's hands, he watched them glow with golden light. Rome blinked, and his eyes too began to glow. Lupan felt a warm pressure over his shoulders and on his back, as if someone was leaning on him. There was even the feeling of a chin on his shoulder. There was no one there, but a deep part of Lupan knew that it was her. He cried, sitting there in the hold of this ship with his friends behind him. Rome moved so he sat beside Lupan, still holding his hands but now also leaning against him.

After several minutes, the pressure and warmth faded, and Lupan looked at Rome. "Thank you..."

"Of course. My lady brings joy, and so must I."

Lupan nodded, and as they were leaving, he called back to Rome, knowingly, "Tell Lady Sunshine I said thank you as well."

Rome beamed at Lupan. "I will."

~~~~~

Keviks kept a watchful eye on Seven, and noticed that he spoke with two younger children: a half-orc boy and a triton girl. After that, he passed another note, and then nothing else. Keviks had the idea that Seven knew he was being watched.

Royal Custodian Castilian
Nana's Eidolon
(Art by Danila Kalinin on
Art Station)

Nana's eidolon Castilian watched the note passing on the upper deck, and noticed that the notes always went through two people consistantly: a human boy, somewhere in his teens, and a half-elven girl who couldn't be older than nine or ten.

Lastly, Fang reported watching one of the kids carrying the notes, and he saw them give it to Lysander Soriena - the lieutenant in charge of the party. He'd also helped the party kill the yugoloths in the sea just outside of Lanti. Up to this point, they'd considered Lysander an ally. His older sister was even in the Selection.

As the party came back together to report their findings and talk about their next moves, Nana cast Detect Magic, to ensure they weren't being watched. As it turns out, they were. She could sense divination magic in the room, behind the admiral. She asked everyone to leave the office, and found that it was following them, specifically Prince Fang. She sent a quick Message to Wren, who used Dispel Magic, and the effect disappeared. Once it was gone, they discussed who on the ship might be able to do that - scry on them. They discussed the possibility of it not being anyone here at all, but as it turns out, the Master Shipmage had access to spells of a similar power. The admiral was willing to launch an investigation into his loyalty as well, in all this. He also said that it would be best to wait and do anything until the Prince of the Sea arrived on board and they rescued the naval ship that had been sunk.

Fang asked, "Why are you so insistent on waiting for him, this Prince?"

"Your Highness, he is the prince of the sea." Admiral Cromdor gestured out to the water surrounding them from the upper deck, and that realization dawned on the party. "He is very powerful. Nothing would dare attack this ship while he's on it - not creature, not pirate, not sailor."

They also discussed the potential of a different destination, either before or after Aincour. An Erdian ship circling their mortal enemy of Saspar's capital city was definitely a great concern. Not to mention, Saspar had the potential for being good allies, and they had access to a lot of information on magic and constructs. Aincour might also hold other traitors that those on the ship could talk to, but if they were detained before they hit land, then it is no longer a problem.

Crown Prince Steel "Fang"
of the Mountain
Tabaxi, age 18
(CUSTOM ART by
@WtfdoIdraw on Twitter)

Fang made the final decision: "Right now, I think we should go to Aincour. When we get to the sinking ship, we'll be closer to there anyway. Once we get on land, if everyone who we have suspicions of is detained, then we can consider ourselves safer there than here. When it comes to leaving again... we'll discuss that later. If we want to go to Jarna afterwards, I'm all for it. If the admiral says it's best to wait for the Prince of the Sea... then we wait."

~~~~~

In the meantime, the party kept a close eye on the crew. 

Wren had a brief conversation with the tabaxi captain of the marines on board, who didn't have much to do. They were there for protection of the ship. The captain had sailed with the admiral before. Wren inquired as to why his men seemed less enthusiastic than the sailors were about her performances.

The captain simply said, "Better that they're not distracted. We're the ship's fighting force, after all. If they're off listening to music, then they're not paying attention. No offense to you or your talent of course, milady."

Lt. Lysander Soriena of the
Midtian Navy
Wood Elf, age 102, physical
age 18
(Art by @Sonnet_Form on
Twitter)

Nana kept an eye on Lysander and even snuck Mond, her raven familiar, into his room one night. Inside was a bed with a drawer underneath and a small desk and chair. An attempt to open the drawer under the desk didn't work very well. From what little part of it Mond could open, Nana could see extra clothes and shoes inside. On the desk were several letters, mostly unfinished, to family and friends. There was one, tucked behind the others that was addressed to him, and smelled of roses.

Mond was able to hide under the desk without being noticed by Lysander when he returned. Lysander spent most of the time writing. He seemed to finish several letters, and then when he did, he sighed deeply. There was the sound of crumpling paper, and one letter was thrown across the room. After that, he climbed into bed.

Once he was solidly asleep, Mond pushed the letter under the door to Nana. It was the rose-scented letter she'd seen before. It was from a woman who seemed to miss Lysander very much. Her name was Roseanne. Other than that though, there wasn't much else to see.

~~~~~

The next evening, Idredia found the ship it was looking for: a navy ship that was still up above the water, but only by magic. Otherwise, it was completely inoperable. Around fifteen sailors were rescued, and they'd only been kept alive at this point due to the kindness of the merfolk. The sea around this area was glowing a bright pink color.

Levistoren, the Prince of
the Sea
Merfolk Archfey
(Art by loopsinthesky on
Tumblr)

The pink glow coalesced into one glowing spot on the port side of the ship. From this spot, a merman leapt into the air. He had pale skin, a slender body, and his tail had four fins near the top of the torso. The tail was also glowing, as well as the tips of his curly brown hair. While in the air, the fins on his tail seemed to move up to his back, and they turned into fairy wings. He lowered himself to the deck gracefully, legs replaced his tail, and magic wove a bright pink, glowing gown on his body.

Behind him leapt another figure, much larger. This merman was toned and muscular. He carried two scimitars, one in each hand. His tail was long, black, and pointed at the end. His hair was short and black, and his face was incredibly stern. When he landed on the deck, his tail also changed to legs, and magic wove him a black garment around his waist.

Kyla, the mermaid who'd been guiding the ship to this location, approached the Prince of the Sea, and he placed his arm around her. He began to make his way to the admiral, but stopped when he noticed Lupan. Lupan had dropped to one knee, out of respect.

The Prince beckoned Lupan to look at him, and when Lupan did, he noticed that the Prince's eyes, too, glowed a beautiful pink. He seemed amused, and delighted by Lupan's gesture. He continued on his way, and the party followed. The admiral took the Prince's report of what happened: pirates. Not any of the local pirate - Leo Bluffs, a.k.a. Captain Damned's - people though. The Prince assured the Admiral that this ship's passage, from this point forward, would be peaceful.

Fang was also introduced to the Prince of the Sea. No one dealt in names when it came to merfolk and fey creatures, so the Prince of the Sea granted Fang the title of "Prince of the Lion Ships," given that the Midtian flag was that of a roaring lion. In greeting, the Prince kissed Fang's hand.

"Lachlan"
The Prince of the Sea's
silent bodyguard
(Art by KKKKITTI on
DeviantArt)

Kyla left the ship, while the Prince and his mysterious guard stayed behind. Wren sang the mermaid shanty she'd learned from Kyla to him, and he was quite impressed. Lupan and Nana spent some time inquiring about merfolk in general, and about some things in the area. They learned the "name" of the Prince's bodyguard: Lachlan, and that Lachlan couldn't speak, at least outside of telepathy.

The Prince of the Sea had known Lupan for a very long time, or about him at least. He knew what he was meant to do, which surprised Lupan. Apparently news travelled fast in Alfheim, but the Prince corrected him.

"It's not that news travels fast. It's that time is either slower or faster. The first time I heard of you was two hundred years ago. And the last was mere hours before."

Lupan felt as though it would be useless to try and comprehend how fey time rules worked.

Nana also asked about the extent of the Prince's power. "Can you see everything that goes on in your sea?"

"No, my power is more... raw. I could destroy cities in my sea, or bordering it, if I wanted to."

The party was suddenly more aware of why no one tried to sink a ship with the Prince on it.

Nana asked about the ship they'd heard about, and the X they'd seen on the map, in the sea.

"The X you speak of is one of our cities."

"And how does one get there?"

"Do you breathe?" he asked, looking at her metal form.

"No."

He smirked. "Then jump."

In terms of his opinions on the ship, he had very little. The merfolk were always cautious about new ships in the water. When the flag of the Erdian navy was described to him, and knowing that this new ship had that flag on board, it didn't change his opinion. In no uncertain terms, the Prince claimed that his people didn't work with the Erdian navy at all.

Additionally, the Prince granted them a benefit, if they were so worried about sailing this sea with this ship around: "If you find that you need help, my people are friends of the Lion Ships. And I like you. I'd hate to see you die."

He walked to Lupan, since he had the strongest connection to fey and Alfheim in the party, and told him, "While you are in my waters, you may speak my name once and I will come to aid you." He leaned in, and whispered, "Levistoren."

He pulled away, kissing Lupan's cheek as he did. The party now had a powerful oceanic ally.

~~~~~

ART LINKS

https://www.deviantart.com/skunkyfly/art/The-rising-sun-740985654

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/lxnKoV

https://twitter.com/wtfdoidraw

https://twitter.com/Sonnet_form/status/1074747966949224448

http://www.wysp.ws/locks/

https://www.deviantart.com/kkkkiti/art/Merman-478236627

MMC Summary: Sessions 28 & 29 - Honesty and Leaving Lanti

Present Party: Keviks, Lupan, Nana, and Wren.

Setting: The city of Lanti, in the kingdom of Midtia. Later, aboard the Midtian Navy's flagship: Idredia, in the Xandan Sea.

After saving their adventuring friends, the party brought them to a tavern for the night so they could recover. While Nana was back at the Cromdor Estate, having a conversation with Prince Fang from last session, the others stayed to make sure their friends were all right. In the morning, the three of them seemed better, if a little groggy after being forcibly drugged and kidnapped. Coffee and greasy tavern breakfast definitely helped.

Crown Prince Steel "Fang"
of the Mountain
Tabaxi, Age 18
(Custom Art by
@WtfdoIdraw on Twitter)

They all decided to head back to the Cromdor Estate, where Prince Fang and Mirabelle Cromdor were watching their friends' charge, Casper. On the way, however, Lupan stops Wren and Keviks, having noticed Fang on the other side of the street. He was walking alone, unguarded, in a dark blue cloak. He carried his rapier, and was wearing his studded leather armor. The party decided that they would catch up to their friends in a bit, and took a detour to see Fang. Keviks took to the skies as well, just to make sure the prince wasn't being followed. It didn't seem as though he was.

When they did intercept him, he promised them that he was okay. He was just running errands.

"What kind of errand are you running where you feel the need to be armed and armored?" Lupan asked.

"Well, let's be honest, if you found out that I'd gone out without any guards and unarmed, I think you'd kill me yourselves," he argued.

The party agreed, but pressed the issue.

Fang sighed, "I was... going to explain everything later, I will, I promise. Right now though, I'm running an errand. I won't stop you if you decide to come with me, but I also won't explain to you why I'm doing what I'm doing until we get back to the estate."

Ultimately, the party let him go on his own, trusting him.

When they went back to the Cromdor Estate, they also utilized their adventuring friends as extra pairs of eyes and extra minds on a problem. Currently, they had a map from the warehouse that they'd just raided with strange markings on it. Nana had also received a strange poem.

Marked Map of the Xandan Sea
(Map made by me, using Inkarnate -
marked in Roll20)

The missings' woes lie in city's seas  

Chasing dragons, eating sugar

Pirate King, deaf to addicts' pleas 

 

Pirate King in a picture frame

A Storm on the horizon

In the underbellies is to blame 

 

The Storm is not the end

Remember fiendish things, now dead

Hear The Prince's Song, descend 

 

Beneath the waves, cats don't drown

As long as kisses can be found 

 

The storm out west rages strong

The Tyrant pushes the ship along

Keviks could understand the basics of the markings on the map from his military background. The X's would mark important places. The arrows likely marked entrances or ports. The red line was probably some kind of path or patrol. Kressa and Boomer could also confirm that, from their military knowledge.

Boomer added, "There was a time, when I lived in Jarna, that there was thought to be a secret port on the west side of the city. We searched for it, even by magical means, but it was never found."

Wren had guessed that "Pirate King in a picture frame" was not a literal meaning. The "Pirate King" himself likely referred to the pirate most present in the Xanden Sea: Leo Bluffs. Wren had heard of him, and knew him as a drug smuggler. The whole party was also aware that he and Admiral Cromdor had a vicious rivalry. She and Lupan also "remembered fiendish things, now dead." The party had fought yugoloths on the Xandan Sea recently, and Nana had cast Speak with Dead on them. One of the things they said had never really been answered. Nana had asked who contracted the yugoloths, to which the answer was: "He Who Sails the Stormy Seas." At first it seemed vague... but suddenly, it seemed too similar to a tabaxi name: something longer, usually nature or ideal related. That would mean that the word "Storm," when capitalized, was not a word. It was a name. Nobody knew of any prominent tabaxi pirates or naval captains.

With that, their friends left for the Hero's Way guildhall to decide their next move. They told the party to let them know if they decided that they were leaving. Then, they waited for the prince's return. In the meantime though, Wren had attempted to find Nana. There was no response from her room. The party assumed she was out, busy with her spell studies, as she often was.

It didn't take long for the prince to come back, and when he did, he found Keviks, Lupan, and Wren waiting for him. He directed them all to a small study and called for tea. Now that the party could really get a good look at Fang, they realized... he was exhausted. It was clear that he hadn't slept well, if at all.

He told the party everything Nana had told him, in the previous session: about the rings and Cornelius, the drugs she'd kept, and what the party largely considered to be the worst thing: the devil pact. Fang wanted help deciding what they should do, as a group.

"I love her so much," he told them. "And I understand why she's doing this. Ever since we ran into that fox creature on the way to Dragon's Valley, she's been different. I've never known Nana to... be afraid before. And now, she's terrified and I don't think she knows how to handle it."

Cornelius
Greater Fire Elemental
Fire Genasi Form
(Art by @nelmdraws on
Twitter)

Fang continued, "I've also spoken to Cornelius, about his situation, and we've... come up with two options for him."

He put a scroll of Banishment on the table, and claimed that this had been the point of his errand today. When asked how much it cost him, Fang didn't answer. He said, "That's not your concern, that's the concern of the royal treasury. Right now, the only people who know I bought this are me, the shopkeeper, my mother, and all of you. And I'd like to keep it that way."

The scroll was to send Cornelius back to the fire plane. The first option was to send him back now, and call upon him again, once, in an hour of great need. Cornelius would then do as he has wanted to do for a long time: consume something very large in flames. Then, he would never return.

The second option was that he is sent back to the fire plane, and he takes both the Master's and Servant's Rings with him. He has no means of returning to the material plane, and swore to Fang that he would never hurt anyone on the material plane with those rings. It wouldn't be their problem. The party favored this option more, but it definitely wasn't perfect.

As for the drugs, Fang wanted any of them that couldn't be used for alchemical purposes gone. He saw no good reason for her to have them.

Then, there was the largest issue. Nana couldn't break it. If she did, her mind and body would be claimed by the devil she'd dealt with. All of them agreed that the third pact, regarding the collection of the souls of Veers, Liam, and Elicia in exchange for great hellish powers should never be invoked. The second pact, however, would only be invoked by Fang's order, and only if no other options were available. This pact would call forth a small army of constructs, led by a fiend, to defend who Nana deemed fit (the royals, her party, etc.) In exchange, two servants of the archdevil would be instituted into two holy places of that archdevil's choosing. The name of the devil she'd contracted with was Amviron.

With these things in mind, the party decided to see Nana together. She was, in fact, in her room. It was Fang's voice that convinced her to open the door. When everyone entered, she was quiet. Prince Fang took the lead, and knelt in front of her, where she was sitting. He took her hands, and asked her to look at him. He told her what they discussed, and what they wanted to do.

Nana brought out all of the drugs, and ordered Cornelius to stand with them. She used her magic mirror to contact Amviron.

She declared, "Your contract does not state that destruction of said contract means that it is broken."

"That's correct," he replied, in a gravelly voice.

"If I destroyed it... our deal would be over."

"So, if you want it to be over... then destroy it."

Nana handed the contract to Cornelius. "Eat it."

Cornelius took the paper into his hand, and flames burst up around it. He sighed, "It'll work, but this is gonna take a while..."

The last thing Nana did was she ordered Cornelius to continue burning that contract until it had turned completely to ash. Once he finished, he could remove the ring. This confused him; he believed he was also receiving the Master's Ring as he and Fang discussed. However, Nana banished him as he began to protest. He was gone, back to the fire plane.

After that, the party was each asked about their opinions of what had happened by Nana. She received their honest answers. They were upset... but they were glad she'd been willing to discuss this now, rather than let them all find out later.

Fang told her, "I might be angry with you... but that doesn't mean I don't love you."

Nana hugged him, and then looked at the party. "So... you'll let me stay?"

Lupan laughed heartily. "Stay? Of course! I told all of you that I slaughtered my own people in an unwilling mindless rage, and you let me stay."

Keviks added, "I killed two Erdian nobles, endangered Wren's family, and basically committed a war crime, and you let me stay."

Nana also told them about where she'd gotten the poem from, regarding the sea: Loki, the god of trickery. She also admitted to making copies of the rings and infusing them with magic. Over time, no one would have been able to tell the difference. She gave them to Wren.

With all that, the party agreed to be honest going forward, and to stick together. They were a team - a family, even. They had to be there for each other, and willing to talk.

~~~~~

Royal Custodian Castilian
Nana's Eidolon
(Art by Danila Kalinin on
Art Station)

Lupan had been informed of the goat Nana had sacrificed to perform her devil summoning ritual. He wanted to ensure that it received a proper burial. Nana's eidolon Castilian was given the choice (not order) to follow him, which he did. He did so quietly. As Lupan moved the bones from where Nana had buried them near the sacrificial site, and buried them elsewhere, while cleansing them with sage, he noticed something. There was a red fox, watching him, from on top of a hill.

Lupan bowed his head in the creature's direction. The fox flicked its tail, and remained there until Lupan left. Castilian did not notice it.

The two of them talked on the way back to town, happy that everyone had been honest. Happy that the two of them could continue to be "battle brothers."

The others went to the bakery of Alistair Kelleran, the brother of one of the adventurers who'd gone missing, where they returned only the pendant of Odin and the wooden staff. He was happy to have something back to remind him of brother and friends. He offered the promised reward, but the party didn't accept more from him than a few muffins for the road.

They all reconvened at the Cromdor Estate, where they spoke to Mirabelle's father: Admiral Cromdor. He, now that the party was ready, would be taking them to Aincour, Midtia's small island town in the Xandan Sea. He did, however, say that there would be a slight detour. A naval ship had been sunk, and merfolk were watching over the survivors. He needed to go and pick them up, which would involve sailing past Aincour at first, and then circling back. He was also able to provide them more insight on their map and poem:

- The X in the Xandan was likely a merfolk colony in the area that Cromdor knew of. The shipwreck wasn't far from that X, maybe 10 miles north of it, as far as he knew.

- There was certainly no known port on the eastern side of Aincour, which furthered the idea of secret ones, potentially even under the water.

- When asked about the merfolk, the admiral had a few things to say:

- The merfolk had alliances with anyone who was kind to them on the seas. The Midtian navy had good relationships with them, but so did Bluffs, who they called "Captain Damned."

- In reference to the poem, he only really knew of two princes. One was Prince Fang, who did not sing. The other was The Prince of the Sea, who ruled over the merfolk in the area. He had a beautiful voice.

Admiral Cromdor could get the party ready to leave in as little as three hours, so the party went off to say their goodbyes and perform any last minute errands.

Wren made sure to stop at home, and give Sebastian, Cassandra, and Orion each a blue dragon scale from the creatures she'd slain in Dragon's Valley. From Orion, she received a very tight hug and he thanked her for saving his life.

She, Lupan, and Keviks said a brief goodbye to their adventuring friends, and they asked where they were headed to next. Last they spoke, that party had intended to go to Jarna, to find a place for Casper to stay.

"We... decided we're probably going back to the Valley," Finch declared. "And... Casper's coming with."

The four of them had been discussing the issue for a while: the fact that they were adventurers, and that having a five-year-old child with them wasn't necessarily the safest idea. But Casper didn't want to leave them, and he had nowhere else to go. So, they decided they would make it work as best as they could.

"We'll probably stay there, do some work for a while, and then..." Finch sighed. "I'm going to have to go back home to Rockland and tell my father that a certain engagement party that was supposed to happen never happened."

Nana, meanwhile, went to the local lumberyard, and got 450 lbs worth of wood, which she stowed away in her Vault of Amber. She had new, far less controversial, plans...

~~~~~

Lt. Lysander Soriena of
the Midtian Navy
Wood Elf, age 102 -
physical age 18
(Art by @Sonnet_Form on
Twitter)

The party boarded Idredia - the Midtian navy's flagship, named for its strongest queen. Admiral Cromdor had outfitted the ship with the best the navy could find from Lanti and Aincour. Lieutenant Lysander Soriena, and his two junior lieutenants - Hadrion and Oleia - were placed in charge of the Selection party. The party were also quickly made aware of the fact that a mermaid would be meeting them at the next dawn, to guide the ship towards the wreck.

On the ship, Lupan asked to take next watch in the crow's nest. He was stationed with another elf who called himself "Xan." Apparently, he was a former pirate turned sailor who worked for Leo Bluffs some years ago. He also grew up in southern Thalnotia. The kingdom name caught Lupan's attention.

"You said you're from Thalnotia? I've heard something about a place there, but when I went researching, I found very little. A place called Seitise?"

The party had found an old painting and had heard legends of the city from one of the bachelorettes, who knew quite a bit about the history of the southern continent.

Xan explained, "Yeah. Seitise is a ghost town. Still partly standing. But nearly everyone who goes in doesn't come out again. Those who do, they can barely stand on their own two feet. Lot of legends about that place."

"Like?"

"Some people say a lich king lived in the cliffs by there," he told him. "But that he was killed some time ago. Some people also say that a swarm of angels of death destroyed the city; some researchers who survived going there claimed to see one there a long time ago." He shrugged. "Don't know much else other than that. Seitise was so far north from where I was from, I didn't really hear much about it."

~~~~~

"Kyla"
Mermaid of the Xandan Sea
(Art by Jenna Paddey)

The next dawn, Nana was the first awake, and she watched as the sailors aboard Idredia used a fishing net to pull up a mermaid with long brown hair and a green tail. When her fins touched the deck, they turned to feet. The sailors gave her a piece of sailcloth to cover herself, and she waved up at the admiral before going to talk to him. Nana joined them. The mermaid introduced herself as "Kyla." She had a few new things to report to him:

- There was a strange ship that had come up from the south, carrying art and treasure. The captain called her Sabine. However, it didn't reach its intended destination. Some of The Prince's scouts found it sunken and empty.

- Another strange ship was circling the two islands, as if it was looking for something. It was definitely a pirate ship, and the merfolk were told by The Prince not to approach it, since they didn't know its intentions yet. It flew two flags: a black cat on one, and a silver dragon's head on the other. 

- Through this, Nana and the party (with Keviks acting as the knowledge source on all things Erdian military) discovered that the flag found in the warehouse was the same one, and that the crest itself referred to the Erdian navy.

- If this was true, the fact that a vessel identifying with the Erdian navy was circling Jarna - the capital city of Erdia's long-time enemy nation, Saspar - was very troubling.

- Merfolk didn't use real names when speaking with land-dwelling humanoids; they're fey creatures and names hold power for fey. She referred to "Captain Damned" being docked at the small island, which the party knew now was Leo Bluffs. She wasn't sure how long he'd be there.

- Lastly, she informed the admiral that The Prince of the Sea was waiting for him at the wreck. He would make sure that their ship arrived safely in whichever port he chose.

The party informed the admiral about their concern with Erdia, and he assured them that right now, their best course of action was not to attack an Erdian ship if they saw one, especially if Midtia was trying to avoid a war. Seas didn't necessarily belong to any one nation. They could be here if they wanted, but that didn't mean it was necessarily a good thing.

Wren and Lupan spent more time with Kyla, learning mermaid songs and performing them for the crew, but with some difficulty. Kyla's voice was something so vastly different; it almost seemed to echo just by nature, and it caused ripples in the sea around their ship. It was as ethereal as it was angelic.

Keviks, while fighting sea sickness, took stock of the crew. He was looking for familiar faces from his time in Erdia, and while he didn't find any of those, he noticed something else. There were children aboard the ship - young cabin boys. Some of them were discreetly passing notes, and they were quite good at it. Before that, one of them had run into Fang, and it caught the party by surprise. They were already a little suspicious, but now this seemed... off. Keviks approached a tabaxi boy, about ten years old, and asked him about the note he was carrying.

The tabaxi played dumb, but stared at Keviks with such a dead, unamused expression, it caught him very much off guard.

He brought his concerns to the party, who all brought it up with the admiral. The admiral listened to the description of the tabaxi boy, but didn't know him.

"He's definitely navy," he assured them. "Everyone on this ship is. But he didn't sail with me before this."

There was definitely more than met the eye with the cabin boys aboard Idredia.

~~~~~

ART LINKS:

https://twitter.com/wtfdoidraw

https://twitter.com/nelmdraws/status/1383549226529955841

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/lxnKoV

https://twitter.com/Sonnet_form/status/1074747966949224448

https://jpaddey.tumblr.com/tagged/my-art

MMC Summary: Session 27 - Drug Busters

Present Party: Keviks, Lupan, Nana, and Wren.

Setting: The city of Lanti, in the kingdom of Midtia.

Finnegan "Finch" Pomeroy
Human, College of Whispers Bard
(Art by Claparo-Sans on
DeviantArt)

Last time, the party was shocked to find that their adventurer friends who they'd brought on a mission - Finch and Kressa - had gone missing from where they were staking out the brothel that Lupan and Wren had gone into undercover. All Wren found in the alley where they left them were Finch's broken glasses.

When the fact was brought to the party's attention, they were shocked. Finch and Kressa had strength on par with Wren and Keviks. How were they captured? Who could have done it? Lupan turned into a wolf, and aided by Kevik's wolf companion, Kindred, they were able to pick up the scent from Finch's glasses. Nana also attempted to contact Finch via Sending, and found that he was having trouble communicating with her. He did manage to tell her something about pirates, and with the scent to guide them as well, the party rushed towards the docks.

Kressa Aryna
Aarakocra, Monster Slayer Ranger
(Art made by me, using Heroforge)

On the way, Nana received a Sending message from Boomer. He and Arcta were part of the same adventuring party as Finch and Kressa. He claimed that he was unable to move, and that people had taken Arcta as well. Nana replied that Finch and Kressa were gone too, but that they were already in pursuit. Boomer was a warforged, though not in great repair. He would need time to fix himself.

Arcta Ursu
Drow, Berserker Barbarian /
Circle of Spores Druid
(Art by u/arecsu on Reddit)

The party came to a warehouse by the docks that Kindred and Lupan had sniffed out. Nana sent her raven, Mond, to look inside from one of the second story windows. From inside, she could see one pirate, carrying a dagger and scimitar, and Finch, bound on the ground.

Lupan transformed again, into a mouse, and found a way to scurry inside. Keviks flew up to the window with the intent to break through it. Wren, Nana, and Kindred circled around to the front door. Lupan was the first to see that the other pirate had a partner, but that they were the only two hostile people in the warehouse. Kressa and Arcta were similarly bound over near him.

Our party burst inside, and Keviks killed one pirate outright in a single strike. The other attempted to run, but Lupan quickly subdued him. Just after, Mond alerted Nana to someone else approaching the warehouse: a gnomish man in a long, brown coat. As it turns out, he was Warryn - the drug dealer that the party had been directed to. He was unhappy about the fact that the party had broken into his warehouse and killed two of his men. They fought, dealing with Warryn's strange magical ability to somehow gain powers from drugs he was taking and summon slimes to aid him in combat. The party emerged victorious.

Boomer
Warforged, Evocation Wizard
(Art made by me, using Heroforge)

Boomer joined the group as quickly as he could, and the party attempted to rouse their friends. It seemed as though they'd been drugged, and that was how they were so easily subdued and able to be captured.

The party looted the warehouse, discovering many interesting things:

- Several kinds of drugs, which Nana would later identify as being ingredients for alchemy, as well as highly addictive and dangerous, especially when combined. As part of this, the party found the Dragon's Sugar they were looking for, and identified Warryn's magic pills as a drug called Snake Eyes.

- Warryn's coat had an emblem of a black cat stitched into the collar. The party did not know what it meant.

- One of the pirate underlings was carrying a map of the bay that had the markings seen below on it. Keviks, with his background in the military, was able to guess that the red line was a patrol route. The arrows were entry points, and the X's were important places.

Map of the Xandan Sea
(Map made by me, using Inkarnate, marked in
Roll20)

- There was a small office that had a bunch of miscellaneous adventuring gear, as well as the following:

- A druidic spellcasting focus, in the form of a staff.

- A spellbook.

- A holy symbol of Odin.

- A set of magic knives that could teleport to each other.

- A note, reading: "We will be gone until our target finishes their mission on the Small Island. Keep up the good work here. We need to make sure no one trusts him anymore. - The Storm." It was stamped with the same black cat symbol.

After that, Wren, Lupan, Keviks, and Boomer took their friends to the Apple of My Eye Tavern, where Wren knew the cleric bartender. She gave the party a free room and food and helped heal Finch, Arcta, and Kressa.

The party stayed the night with their friends (and for Keviks and Wren, their lovers.) The small half-tabaxi child that they were in charge of taking care of stayed the night with Prince Fang and Mirabelle Cromdor.

~~~~~

Nana stayed behind to Identify the items they found. She called on her eidolon Castilian and the elemental in her service, Cornelius, to help her. Castilian went to find the guards. Nana and Cornelius collected some of each of the drugs, and put them into a Vault of Amber. Nana, in opening up all of the crates, also found a flag. It depicted a forward facing silver dragon head in on a blue field with a red X. The dragon face reminded Nana of Keviks's Erdian army crest. She put that in the Vault of Amber as well.

Crown Prince Steel "Fang"
of the Mountain
Tabaxi, age 18
(Custom Art by
@WtfdoIdraw on Twitter)

Afterwards, she returned home, where she informed Fang of what happened. He was glad to hear that their friends were safe now.

As Nana left, he called after her, "Love you, okay?"

She stopped, and turned back to him... before walking back and hugging him.

"You know that I would do anything to protect you and your family, right?"

She went on for a bit, unsure of herself and the emotions that she'd been feeling ever since her encounter with Kalicosio, when he took the first 20 or so years of her life from her memory.

"You know," he remarked, "I think that you and I have the same kind of opinion when it comes to a certain... guildmaster, who... from what I understand... has done very terrible things."

"That lich..."

He placed his hands on her shoulders. "Nana... I don't want to lose you, in all of this, like he has lost himself. You're a second mother to me, and I don't want to lose you like that."

"I need someone now who I'm able to trust," she said to him earnestly. "I need to know if you can be that for me."

"I can if you're honest with me."

The way he looked at her, with sincerity and fondness, and with her heart on the verge of breaking - looking at this young boy who she'd raised, who wanted to help her when he was the one in danger...

She was honest. She told him everything.

- She told him about the rings, and how she'd been using them on Cornelius - how she'd even gotten them enchanted to be more powerful.

- She told him about the pact she'd made with an archdevil, which with her permission, he read. She told him about the mirror that she could use to contact that devil. He also saw the poster from the Hells, which showed the faces of Guildmaster DeMarco's associates: Veers, Liam, and Elicia.

- She told him about how she'd taken the drugs, wondering if she could use them to enhance Cornelius's raw power.

- She showed him the flag, which she believed had connections to Erdia.

Fang, as far as Nana could determine, was not upset with her... but he was definitely upset with the actions that she'd taken.

She insisted that if any of this upset him, it was his decision whether or not she continued down these paths.

He said simply, "I'm... going to need time to think about this. Give me until tomorrow night."

They hugged again, and Nana sank to her knees holding Fang, upset but unable to cry. He held her for some time before finally he insisted that the two of them should get some rest.

Before he left, he said again, "I love you."

~~~~~

ART LINKS

https://www.deviantart.com/claparo-sans/art/Edricane-547043882

https://www.reddit.com/user/arecsu/

https://twitter.com/wtfdoidraw