II. April 23, 2012

ARUMELIAN THRONE CAMPAIGN second session
Location: Jartapur
DM: Mike Viviano
Player Characters:
Newall Dragonard (formerly Atrigoine), noble-born Dragon-blood sorceror played by Pete Morena
Gamon du Maudit, Ninja bodyguard, played by Tim Gillihan
introducing Eli Stormswift, Inquisitor played by Scotty Anderson
NPC's, introducing all
Aagha Nel Foula Gracalie
Sallis Garignas
Marsilla D'uvoinne
After Newall Dragonard showed Kardilla Du'Blouine his appreciation for the previous evening, she was taken home after she made plans to attend a speech given by Jeromault Rosserot. Returning home and expecting a challenge from the recently provoked war with Maxwould Bavioux, Newall and Gamon du Maudit were disappointed by a lack of action the following day. Newall spent the day doing his normal routine, and at Gamon's urging visited the noble neighborhood bar the White Whale, hoping to see a sign of Maxwould, no doubt to provoke him further. There were a few unfriendly faces there, but others were friendly enough, including one who engaged Newall to build a dovecote at his estate.
After this, it was decided to investigate a floating festhall/brothel named The Shady Nymph, still looking for a sign of the Bavioux. Newall spent some time gambling and both he and Gamon decided to try to sense the pulse of the city. They determined that many people on all walks of life were ready for serious changes, though others who were entrenched in society and having little other than their histories to sustain them resisted such changes. Gamon recognized a member of one of the unfriendly families from the night at the Horlafense's. Taking a pee break at the same time as one of their servants, he attempted to talk smack to draw out Bavioux, but the servant refused to talk to him while taking a leak.
In the meantime, vengeful Eli Stormswift started investigating the recent murder of his wife, pregnant with his child. The first suspect was Maxwould's cousin Melhan Bavioux, his late wife's first husband. He went to the Bavioux estate to speak with him, and was invited in. They had a tense dinner where Melhan admitted to being angry at the relationship, but denied murdering Eli's wife, and even acknowledged that he had suspected Eli before the meeting. Being pressed, Melhan ventured that a shady organization called the Blood Guard may have been responsible. Melhan suggested searching at The Shady Nymph.
Leaving The Shady Nymph and heading to their carriage, Newall and Gamon are bushwhacked by two young ladies! One is a fighter and the other a fighter. The female fighter hit Gamon first, while the wizard fires off a Ray of Exhaustion at Gamon that fortunately misses. Gamon raised an inpenetrable wall of steel with his rapier and main gauche while Newall casted Color Spray. Both resisted and both parties called for the other to surrender.
While being full defensive, Gamon managed to sorely wound the fighter while Newall cast Color Spray again. The wizard counterspelled. Newall followed up with a Magic Missile, to which the wizard was forced to counterspell with Dispel Magic. The fighter swung and missed, and Gamon was able to disarm her, her sword clattering beneath the nearby carriages and the now agitated horses.
Newall casted Color Spray again, and the wizard expected that they would resist again. However the fighter dropped. Deciding that discretion was awesome, the wizard turned tail and hauled ass. They heard "OH HELLS NO!" and the sound of fleeing footsteps from around the corner. Newall spun around to pursue, not quite recognizing the quarry, but thinking it might be Maxwould Bavioux. However, Eli, who had just arrived, recognized the Bavioux family crest. Left with the fighter, Gamon knocked her out, hogtied her, and was proceeding to stuff her into the carriage when Eli walked up. Gamon hypnotized Eli so he wouldn't recognize them.
At that moment, the wizard they had just fought called out wanting to negotiate. Gamon told her to step out or he would kill the fighter. The wizard, Aagha Nel Foula Gracalie, mage hunter did so and under interrogation she admitted that she and her partner Sallis Garignas had been hired by Maxwould for 400 Arumels ("Not nearly enough.") to subdue Newall so Maxwould would be able to do whatever he wished to do to him. Impressed by Aagha's loyalty to her friend, Newall invited her and Sallis to dinner. In the meantime, Eli saw to Gamon and Sallis' wounds and brought her around again.
After they had dinner, Newall decided to spend the night with both Aagha and Sallis, both were agreeable, though Sallis was a little reluctant. He discussed them joining in his cause (which he didn't go into details over) the next morning and even let Sallis have her enchanted elven curved sword back (to Gamon's disgust). Also that evening, Newall, Gamon and Eli discussed the Bavioux family and Eli brought up the Blood Guard to the others' interest. Newall bought Gamon a whore, not knowing about his aestheticism. Gamon deflected the whore to Eli's appreciating direction.
Aagha and Sallis accompanied Newall and Gamon to the Dragonard home where they spent the rest of the night with him. Eli went home and returned the next morning (freaking out a page), and they went about their next busy day. Newall took time to check out the site for the dovecote and write up an estimate. Then they went to the theater where Jeromault was to give his speech, arriving early to see to security. Newall met up with Kardillia and they sat in one happy group (Kardillia, Aagha, and Sallis all; Newall had his swag on). Eli sat up in a balcony.
On stage their philosopher friend was watched over by his noble patron Count Gezeraine Tountant IV. Two hours into a fiery speech where Jeromault called for major changes in society and provoking controversy, Newall, Eli and Sallis noticed the curtains behind Jeromaut lift a touch and the glint of metal. Eli fired off an Acid Splash, hitting the assassin, while Newall shot off a fire-enabled Ray of Frost (right?)right! that brought down the curtain on the wannabe killer. Sallis took position guarding the aisle. The killer's crossbow bolt sailed wildly into the audience.
Eli did a magnificent swashbuckling swing on the theater's wall and curtains landing on the stage and grappling the killer who had just struggled out from under the curtains, while Gamon ran magnificently across the piano and leapt upon the stage, running behind the action to secure the backstage. Newall scrambled roughly up the stage and started fighting the fire started by his ray. A little late, Aagha fired off a Ray of Exhaustion and missed again. By this time Count Tountant had tackled Jeromault and lay protectively atop him.
The wannabe killer slipped free, but was caught by Gamon, followed closely by Eli who clapped manacles on him. Again a little late, Aagha shot off a Fireball, shocking her companions. Fortunately, it turned out to be non-lethal energy that still knocked her team off-kilter. The killer was knocked cold. Eli brought him around and urgently interrogated him before the watch arrived. They found that he was trying to kill Jeromault in order to get admission into the Blood Guard, and gave them one name under interrogation, (which I don't remember...).
Soon, Count Tountant took Jeromault straight to his home, while a bunch of fans gathered in the theater lobby. The party was congratulated on their bravery, saving Jeromault, and stopping the killer. One offered to hold the afterparty at his house, and the party decided to attend. While there, they heard an interesting tidbit regarding a book written by an aunt of the Horlafense family (where they had attended a party several nights ago), a book containing gossip on many local noble families.
The book was supposed to be in the Horlafense family library, built up by the former lord who wanted to look like he was well read, even if he barely cracked a book open. He bound everything in leather and stuck it up on the shelf.
The next day the party cooked up a ploy which the current uncaring lord bought and gained admission to the library. While Newall and Gamon suspiciously searched for prying eyes, Eli cast Sift over and over and quickly found the book, while the others looked for other books of interest. Newall found books on architecture, while Gamon searched in vain for fairy tales. While the others pillaged the library, Newall made himself comfortable and sat on a pile of blankets and cushions in front of the fireplace.
These cushions and blankets were inhabited by Marsilla D'uvoine. Finding that the girl was the former librarian's daughter and was intimately familiar with the library, they began a more systematic pillaging of the books. Marsilla seemed unhappy with her situation, and interested in Newall's plans, so her services (unused at any rate) were obtained from lord Horlafense and she followed them out. Intrigued by the girl, Gamon attempted to use his weak swag on her.
At first deciding to go to the family's lands, they decided to stay in Jartapur to avoid looking like cowards. Returning to the family's town house, they found Marsilla a warm spot by the library and retired for the evening.
EXPERIENCE POINT REWARDS
Defeating Sallas - Nonlethal: 5th level 25% bonus 2000 divided between Pete and Tim, 1000 each
Resolving Aagha - not defeated 5th level 50% of total 800 divided between Pete and Tim: 400 each
Defeating killer - nonlethal: 4th level 25% bonus 1600 divided between Pete, Scott, and Tim: 550 each
Post encounter with merc girls 600 divided between Pete, Scott and Tim: 200 each
Playing the merc girls 400 Pete
Talk with Bavioux 400 Scott
Library 600 to Pete Scott and Tim: 200 each
Total Pete 2750
Total Tim 2350
Total Scott 1350
Hey bro, you gave me 1000 xp for first session 600 for the 3 punks and 400 for the session and roleplaying. You gave Tim 200 extra for the 100 gold idea. So, I have 8750 xp thus far. Are we using medium advancement? Tim has 8550 xp. How about getting valuable information from the library and getting a valuable npc on our side? Just 600 for everything? Tim had a great idea for that he probably should get extra for that. I tried to get too complicated. It was Tim's idea or his character's to look through his library and see if there were books that we may purchase. Straight up! I was trying to come up with an excuse to get invited to peruse his library. I didn't know it was common to let others make an offer on your library. I wouldn't ever do that. I may allow them if they paid for the chance to 'copy' a book, but they would've had to pay for the time of a scribe and time for the book to be away from my library.
Don't worry, Scotty! I'll catch you up!