Save or Die: Outcasts: Episode 18

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==Synopsis==
The Party arrive in Holy City Ember Stone to hire some Clerics to visit Autumn. The clerics of Martha, Nerual, and Nadinis are easy enough to hire, while the party is unable to hire the clerics of Reluna and Chis. Renatus goes to great lengths to convince the Reluna and Chis clerics to join in.
While alone in the city Grau is captured by the fireflies.
==Recap==
===Journey to Holy City Ember Stone===
September 20, 1523. The party with their new companions camp outside Fetters Hot Springs, avoiding entering the town with the group of exiles. Grau and Arachis share a tent together to hide Grau's transformation from the newcomers.
After days of travel the party arrive outside of the island-town of Coraton, located in the middle of the Thordin River. In Coraton the party find a wanted posters that include a old poster for Arachis. Arachis removes the poster and stomps it into the muddy ground. Auguste hides the poster in the bag of holding.
Before the party cross the guarded bridge into town, Arachis casts on himself to make himself look different from the wanted poster. The party manages to pass though the town before the spell wears off, in 15 minutes.
In the town of Locksteen Arachis reveals to the four men from Fetters Hot Springs that he is a Prince who seeks to regain his homeland of Vantis. Auguste ultimately wants to recruit the four men, so hopes to gain their trust.
===Arrival at Holy City Ember Stone===
September 27, 1523. The party arrive at the walls to Holy City Ember Stone. Arachis recalls that Holy City Ember Stone is an ancient city that even predates the Breaking of Arcadia, so perhaps has anti-magical wards at the entrance. His Alter Self spell could backfire at the city gates. Arachis casts on a silver coin and hands it to Renatus to test for anti-magic at the gates.
Renatus finds the coin remains enchanted passing though the gates. He books 3 rooms at out the Provu's Palace Inn/Tavern before returning to the party. Provu's Palace is a enormous 4-storey tavern with many different classes of people and demihumans. The Inn is protected by a spell which seems to kill trouble-makers and pickpockets.
Renatus then goes to a clothing store to get Arachis a Red-Riding-Cloak & red cowl to somewhat change Arachis's appearance, without changing his robe-color. If Arachis hid he was a Red-Robed wizard, it would make him a renegade against the Solum Orders of Magic. Ren then returns to the party and gives Arachis the clothes. Arachis reluctantly wears the clothes.
Auguste suggests the party spend a little as possible to recruit the clerics in order to have enough gold left over to get some plate armor for himself.
The party walk inside the city together. Arachis notices the wanted poster with his face on it inside the gatehouse. Auguste looks for the largest bounty and it is for a male elf with the alias "Barry" for 100,000 gp. Barry is considered the "Arch-Fey". 
Arachis goes with Renatus to the clothing shop and orders some new red robes for himself. The robes will be a darker red than what Arachis currently owns. He budgets 50 gp for them. It will be ready in a week. Arachis then has his beard shaved and his hair trimmed.
The party then walk around the Outer City of Holy City Ember Stone. The upper floors of buildings are built with different stonework than the older lower-floors. The inner-city seems to be build entirely of the older-stonework. This may explain the city walls not being protected by the ancient anti-magic spells, as the walls likely had to be repairs or rebuilt as a result of one of the many historical wars. Arachis also sees runes of protection on many of the buildings, but they could be fake, but Arachis doesn't feel confident in testing them.
===Recruiting the Clerics===
Autumn hired the party to find her five clerics. A clerics of Martha, Nerual, Nadinis, Reluna and Chis. The party decide their opening offer will be 1000 gp, with 1500 gp if expenses aren't included.
The party will have to go into the inner-city to find the high level clerics that Autumn wants. It is believed these walls will be warded, so Arachis will not risk going inside. There is also a risk that Grau's transformation will also be revealed, so he also remains outside of the inner-city.
At the gate to the inner city they discover they have to leave behind all weapons and armor. Renatus will stay at the gate with their gear, while Auguste and his squire Stacy head inside.
Arachis & Grau go look into hiring a carriage for the clerics. Arachis suggests that Grau takes point with the talks as practice. Grau starts by asking a town guard about where to book a carriage. Grau's inability to hold the conversation makes the guard worried about him, so decides to walk with Grau to the transportation (Curtis's Wheels). The guard suspects the The Fireflies has modified Grau's memories as he is showing all the symptoms. Grau manages to excuse himself form the town guard.
===Auguste Speaks with the Clerics===
Auguste and Stacy enter the inner city. The decide to visit a temple dedicated to Martha first.
: Just walking around the much smaller inner city. The buildings here are way taller, there's lots of five and six story buildings, There are these Grand Cathedrals with spires that just go up forever and huge temples all over the place. There is this sacred pit next to the very centre of the city, with the sloped stones that makes it look like a giant bowl. and it collects rainwater and there's like a little spiral staircase that goes all the way down to it, and you can see some clerics or some priests pulling some rain water out of this like giant sacred bowl.
: It is a big, very tall, very old city. Definitely the oldest city that you've ever been.
The two enter the temple of Martha, which is a large magnificent structure with stained-glass windows. The leader of the Martha Temple is a level 14 cleric. Autumn only needs a cleric of the 3rd to 5th circles, so it can be a lesser cleric than the leader. The party meet with a older human male named Father Gregor. Auguste honestly explains his purpose to Father Gregor, that the wizard Autumn wishes to talk to a number of different types of clerics about the concepts of creation and life. He gives the price of 1,250 gp. Auguste accepts the price and pays it with an underling named Lea. Father Gregor is able to make introductions to a cleric of Nerual & Nadinis but unable to help when it comes to a cleric of Chis or Reluna.
Auguste also meets with the clerics of Nerual & Nadinis, who agree to the same terms and same costs.
Auguste then finds the Chis temple, which is much smaller than the other temples. It is plainly constructed without the ornamentation that the Martha temple had. Simple and humble. Inside is a single cleric of Chis named Father Vain. Father Vain is a man of few words, but conveys he is unable to make the trip Auguste wants, that his work is here. Auguste accepts this and leaves politely.
Next is the Reluna temple. Reluna's temple is another of the grand temples, with everything adorned or crafted with different shades of the color red and some gold highlights. To show his sincerity, Auguste crawls up to the dais down the aisle. At the dais are three clerics of Reluna. Auguste offers a prayer to Reluna, wanting his Uncle Renatus to be reunited with his true love, and wanting to complete this mission as a step to restore his kingdom.
Auguste then speaks with the three clerics and explains himself to them. The clerics see Auguste's words to be dispassionate. They ask Auguste to send someone who is passionate about this to make the request. Auguste agrees and leaves.
===Renatus speaks with the Reluna Clerics===
Auguste and Stacy leave the inner city and update Renatus on their progress. Also that Renatus is probably the best person to convince the Reluna clerics with his passion. 
Renatus arrives at the grand temple to Reluna. The clerics test Renatus's convictions for his love and passion for his missing wife. They then claim that it will cost 5,200 gold to hire them. Renatus knows this is a ridiculous amount of gold, but agrees. One of the clerics puts a amulet of Reluna on Renatus's neck and says that Reluna will watch him on his journeys.
===Renatus speaks with the Chis Cleric===
Renatus goes into the modest temple of Chis. Renatus acts like he owns the place, and greets the other visitors and sees how they are going. After a few minutes he meets with the Chis Cleric. Renatus insists the cleric of Chis come with him and that his quest cannot be completed without him. The importance of Renatus restoring is image and restoring Chis to importance in Vantis.
The Cleric points out if he left he would still leave the temple unattended, and Renatus offers to watch the temple during the Cleric's absence. The Cleric says they will consider the offer and ask Renatus to come back in three days.
===Party meet back up===
October 2, 1523. The party meet back up at Provu's Palace. These talks with the clerics have taken 3 days so far. 
Renatus explains how much the Reluna clerics cost. The party find the cost exorbitant, but accept it is the cost of completing the mission.
October 5, 1523. After three days the Chis cleric accepts Renatus offcer, and gives Renatus Chis robes and amulet to wear as they run the temple. 
The plan is for Grau to go with Auguste to escort the clerics, while Arachis and Renatus stay in the city. 
===The Week Before Leaving===
October 6, 1523. 
With a week before they are to leave town, the party spend time in Holy City Ember Stone.
Arachis attempts to learn but fails.
Renatus runs the temple of Chis. He finds that it is 2 hrs shift before dawn, 2 hrs shift at midday, and a 2 hr shift after sunset. During his downtime he scouts out targets to be pickpocketed in the future.
Auguste spends time in the Chis temple with his squire, Stacy. Later Auguste goes to a noble tavern in the Outer City with Grau and Stacy. The three share a fancy meal together, with Grau and Stacy trying to have table manners that Auguste had been formally taught. Auguste notices the attitude of the other nobles in the tavern are somewhat mocking towards Stacy & Grau, but he ignores it. 
Auguste then spends the rest of the time working on the logistics of the coming journey.
Grau looks around the city for "alternative" religious groups he can join in to find out more. One evening he happens across Forest the Firefly going down a narrow allyway. Grau turns into gnome form, like what Forest saw last time, and follows after the half-elf. Grau enters a door at the end of the allyway after Forest. Behind the door is a staircase that Grau takes. At the bottom of the stairs is a door engraved with an insect. A firefly.
Grau knocks on the door, and Forest opens the door and rushes Grau inside. Inside are 3 elves with their swords drawn around a table. Forest calms down the other fireflies. One of the other fireflies says Grau is familiar. Grau admits to them that he is a druid. Then a bright spell is cast at him.
==Experience==
No experience given this episode.
Category:Save Or Die: Outcasts Episodes
Category:Save Or Die Episodes
Category:Save Or Die: Outcasts