9 October 2022
The party departs the train to find Lucie, Blue, and Pip standing on the train platform. In one hand, Lucie is holding onto Pip for dear life as travellers move past. In the other hand, balanced on her hip, is a large potted plant. She informs the party that Pip had a meltdown last night because he didn’t want to go to bed and ended up turning an attendant into a potted plant. The enchantments are layered too thickly for Lucie or Blue to be able to dispel it themselves, so she’s off to ask a wizard friend of hers to help them out. She gives the address to Wren: 6c Inglis St. Ask for Burvis. Just in case they need to get in touch (and Lucie makes sure they exchange sending-stone-information) and the three leave with Iris. Fen says goodbye to his new friend Pip and then tries to find Clara and Markl to say goodbye to them. When he runs out into the rain, however, their scent is lost. The party enters a beautiful town with towering, gothic buildings in the distance and cobblestone streets. It’s damp, raining a little bit today, and you can already smell wet rabbit a little bit. It’s about a ten minute walk into the township proper from the train station situated to the north—which is one of two points of entry into the city due to the large moat that sits between the rest of Torlen and Wolftal and the Inglis mountains situated to the west. The party can walk a slightly scenic route, noting as they cross a bridge that there is a large windmill in a field of tulips off in the distance.
The party passes between two large buildings into the city centre, which features the fairly new town hall, a large fountain with a statue of Pelor standing at the centre, and shops lining around. From where you stand, you can see a bookstore, a wizards shop, and some clothing and adventurers shops. They all look to be small, mum and pop-type shops. In the distance, you can see the dark spires of the castle against the mid-morning sun.
The party goes to the wizard supply store, INCLINATION, so Fen can find a gift for Clara. The store itself is a fair bit high end in appearance, with some magical items in large glass cases towards the back. At the counter stands a large earth genasi man named Midas, with long, thick black hair in a braid, tawny skin with golden markings rising up from his hands along his arms. He shows Fen a magic trick and sells him a small bracelet for Clara for a gold piece. The party asks of Stefan immediately and the man shushes them, moving to cover up all reflective surfaces in the shop. He then tells them they should not be asking questions about Stefan if they wish to stay out of trouble, there are whispers that he attracted the attention of a certain powerful woman not long before his disappearance. When the party asks about the spellbook, he recommends that they cease looking for it. The spell book itself isn’t necessarily dangerous, but many of the people looking for it are, including a wizard who is rumoured to work with Mordekainen (or against Mordekainen? Midas isn’t certain) named Dorrathor. He recommends speaking to the old dwarven woman at the bookshop next store to see if they can learn more. He also notes that he had heard word that the wizard Suliman is at the palace right now.
Next door, at THE WEARY DWARF, Maurie Hardwinter and her slumbering husband, Klen, greet the party. Wren and Fen work to cover all reflective surfaces just in case and ask about the book. They get little information, but Fen buys some Burnice Kindlepepper merchandise and Wren buys Rocinates Saelis’ new book— a tell all about the Elysian Pantheon, featuring interviews with the Champion of Pelor, the Champion of the Raven Queen, and a tell all chapter about the leader of the Elysian Pantheon’s childhood. The party is asked to “deliver some books” to the princess in order to gain them access to Wizard Suliman. They agree, and the old woman apologizes for not being able to pay them for their service. Her poor joints can’t handle the steps up to the palace anymore, and it’s increasingly difficult.
Upon arriving at the palace, a guard confirms via a slip tucked into the books that the order is from Maurie and is intended for Crown Princess Johanna. A maid is sent after them to show them the way. The maid, Amelie, tells them that she’s a little frustrated by all of the adventurers coming through when Wren mentions that he lives in Castledorn. They’ve apparently begun harassing the King and his husband over the missing prince. King Mikhail has only been in power for about a year since the death of his father, King Leon, and in that time he’s worked very hard to undo his fathers wrongs—the staff in the castle are paid appropriately, given benefits, their time is valued, the houseless population of Torlen are being housed, universal basic income has already been implemented, and he’s continuing to offer social works programs to better the kingdom! He’s even worked to sign a peace treaty with Sarlis and some of the nomadic groups in the Wickery Islet to fix the relations between other kingdoms after years of war under his fathers rule. She says that Queen Jemisen is cruel, especially given that she has little care for both her children and her step son who went missing years ago (but you don’t see her sending out hoards of people and offering money to them!)
Amelie lets them deliver the books and Princess Johanna—maybe 15 years of age and human— welcomes the party (though her disappointment that they are not Maurie is evident.) She thinks Fen is adorable and so invites them out for tea with her and her father in the drawing room, asking Amelie to give them a space to wash up and get changed into cleaner clothes. Amelie agrees and directs them out, noting that another group has also been invited to tea and will be joining them (surprise surprise, it’s Pip, Blue, Lucie, and Iris and the magical fishbowl monster.)